The Big 1-0....Happy Birthday Kirk!

After posting about muscle cars, global warming and silent birth, it's back to Mommy blogging. My son Kirk turns ten years old today. My rap loving, bling wearing, basketball playing son. These aren't the things I would of chosen for him to be into (except for the basketball.) Personally I like the California skater boy look myself. But it's not my choice, is it? I learned that one a long time ago with Olivia. When she was a toddler I loved to do her hair in pigtails or barrettes. Then one day this two year old decided that wasn't her style and would pull the pigtails/barrettes out as fast as I could get them in. My dreams of a living, breathing doll were squashed. Bummer.
Okay now, back to Kirk. He's got a great sense of humor, is a popular kid at school, the girls love him and he has lots of friends. He doesn't get the best grades at school even though he tries very hard. He has learning disabilities and school is difficult for him. Everyone has their cross to bear, right?
As you watch your children get older their emerging personality, their likes and dislikes, their strengths and weaknesses become more and more apparent. You get to see glimpses of the adults that they may become. And really, how much input do we have? Ah yes, the nature vs. nurture debate. I think it's a mixture of both. Take a predetermined personality and throw in your parenting style and Voila- a unique person.
How many of us, when we were holding our newborn babies, had visions of what this little human was to become. Maybe a leader, an artist, an athelete, a Nobel winning scientist? Does it always happen this way? No. Is that a bad thing? I don't think so. As parent's we guide and discipline and we teach our children the things that we feel are important. Even then they don't turn out exactly like we expected and why should they? They have their own spirit. Having expectations is good for a child, when it's taken to an extreme it can become painful for the child and the parent.
My hopes for Kirk? To be a kind person, to defend the weak, to treat people with respect, work hard, to know himself and to be happy with his choices. So far so good. And if he grows up to be a basketball star? That would be cool.