Happy 16th Birthday Josh!

My Barbaloot turns 16 today.

Unreal that my baby is now able to do 16 things: drive and date (we wait until 16 to date).

But even though he’s 16, there is still so much “Baby Josh” or “Baby Dosh” as Zach used to say, in him.

Josh wasn’t the easiest baby. He was colicky and spent a lot of time in tears (me too. It was my coping mechanism). He grew to become a toddler who spent a lot of time in tears. Granted, that was when his Dad and I divorced and there was so much transition in his life. He was always a very sensitive child too – to noise, environment, textiles, and people, so life could be pretty stressful for the little guy.

But, man, he was cute. And super friendly; he would say hi to anyone on the street. He adored dogs too and would always stop for a cuddle! He was filled with courage and adventure. He adored his brother and they were best buds (and I’m happy to say despite the competition and sibling rivalry, they really are still best buds). He was charming and hilarious and had a huge heart!!

When he was 4, he started soccer and he shined even more! I remember within a first few minutes of him playing, people wondered who he was; while the other kids meandered around the field, he was focused and fast. He was able to grow and develop into a great soccer player and a great athlete.

Funny though, because when he was 2, he had two toddler fractures in both legs (at different times) and I had to carry him everywhere so they would heal. We took him to some specialists as they were concerned about his hips and his balance. They told me that he likely wasn’t going to be a sporty kid as he had these issues and to nourish his other talents.

Well they were super wrong. He is very sporty.

Let me start here with the 16 things I love most about this boy:

He will play most sports, and play them well. He loves sports. And even if he’s not the best at a couple of sports, he still enjoys being on the team (in grade 6 he was on the baseball team but never played. I worried as he sat on the bench…would he be devastated that clearly he was being overlooked? I approached him about it (delicately) after the game. He laughed. He said he wasn’t great at baseball, wasn’t crazy about the sport, but loved being on the side to eat sunflower seeds and cheer on his team. He excels at so many other sports (his all time sport is soccer) and loves to play as much as he can.

2. He is committed. That’s one reason why he’s good at sports. He will practice. He will train. He is a team player. He supports his other team mates. He will show up on and off the field or court. You can count on him. I so love that about him.

3.He has a super sensitieve side. Likely why he cried so much as a baby, but he feels things. As he’s gotten older, he tries to hide it, but it’s there:) And I love to see it. There’s a sensitivity and a compassion there and it comes out when he interacts with little kids (or Reggie!), or when he sees someone less fortunate. I’m sure that side will develop even more when he goes to HEFY in Paraguay this summer.

4. He is an awesome hugger. And I can get a hug for him every time. He will put his arm around me when talking, even though he towers over me now!

5.He is super funny. He makes us all laugh! Great sense of humour. We can count on him keeping us entertained!

6.He is smart. He knows stuff, remembers stuff and is figuring out how to maximize his learning – starting to plan things out, manage his time etc.

7.He has a great smile and a great laugh. He can get hysterical with silliness.

8.He loves his sweets. He loves weird things too. A super picky eater, he will eat every dessert in sight, and then he will try every weird thing when we travel too!

9.He is a solid fortnite player. Ha. Had to add that in. He can play that game for hours straight. That’s got to be something, right?

10.He is who he is. No pretense. No adjusting. No changing depending on where he is and who he is with. He’s Josh.

11. He is an fun traveller. So blessed that a traveller like me has a traveller like him in my life. Loves to go on adventures. Loves to travel. Has been super flexible with his “15, no 16, sorry now 18 trip” to accommodate all the other things in our lives. I’m super excited to do his alone trip – in two years:) And I’m super excited that he has said I can travel with him when I’m old ( I had to add this in now so I can use it in case he forgets or his wife says I can’t come, lol)

12.He is super quiet in the mornings, but by night, when I drive him to soccer practice, he is super chatty. I love that time with him. I love to hear his animated stories, I love to hear his thoughts, I love to hear his ideas and concerns. Some of my favourite times in the whole week are those nights.

13. I love how his Spirit is growing. He may seem aloof, but that Spirit is there and I love how it is being nourished by the different experiences in his life.

14. He is a good friend. He is loyal, trustworthy and honest and knows how to have fun.

15.He’s a bit risk averse and hates heights and fast things (roller coasters) and is not ashamed! I love that about him. Again, he is who he is. And he’s super funny telling people about it. (“I’m not going on anything they say pregnant women can’t go on!”)

16. He’s a great brother and son. Of course there is a lot of fighting, competition, stubbornness (from everyone!) , but he would do anything for his siblings, and has a great time with them. He is a good teacher and a friend to them all. He is an awesome son and friend to me too.