Eight, 8, VIII (and 238)

Eight years ago our first born came into the world. It wasn’t exactly a grand entrance. It was a forty hour labor and he was born at 3:27 in the morning. I wrote about it my “With An Open Heart” post about his heart surgery when he was five days old.

Flash forward eight years and you would never know he went through what he went through. He only needs to see his cardiologist once every two years. Whenever he goes to a new doctor they’re amazed when they listen to his heart. “He’s got quite a heart murmur,” they tell us as if we didn’t know. His heartbeat sounds more like the swishing of a washing machine than the clear boom boom we’re used to hearing.

He’s also full of business. He enjoys arguing. Really enjoys sometimes. Especially if it’s bedtime and it’s still light outside. Anyway, he growing physically (an inch in the last 3 months) and mentally (he’s reading above grade level). Though he is smart, I swear he is, he still does dumb stuff. I’m fairly confident “the do stupid stuff” gene is on the Y chromosome.

So now he’s going into third grade (or as they say here in Canada, grade three). He’ll be in a new part of his school (or at least new to him) which is just down the hall from the pre-school room his brother will be in.

Today will be celebrated by cleaning up Legos. Or, Crash will be cleaning up Legos while his mother and I clean the rest of the house. We’ll be visiting our park and splash pad later for Family Fun activities. Then we’ll be home to decorate and have a pizza party with a bunch of Crash’s friends. This will be followed by ice cream cake and presents.

Here’s to another 584 billion mile journey around the sun. Here’s to whatever 8 brings us. Here’s another to protecting our sanity.

Oh and …