Gimme a Crest

Parenting is one of those "pick your battles" type of things. Aethan is very non-confrontational when it comes to following instructions. He watches his little brother, does his chores without complaining and just generally puts up with having a life of continuous movement and responsibility. So when Aethan asks for things it's really hard to say "No."

Most of the things he asks for are reasonable.. to go to the park, buy craft supplies, hot dogs. He's easily pleased. He pretty much likes a part of everything. We went to office depot this morning and he was extatic because I told him he could buy binder inserts for his football cards (He doesn't know it, but we actually drove all the way up there for that specifically. I could've waited for copy paper. I'm a big sucker)

The thing I find motivates Aethan to be happy and excited is his ability to be his unique self. I pride myself on not stifling that. It's always something. Some thing that makes the other parents look sideways at him. Last week he wanted to wear his leather biker vest to school every day. The week before he wanted his hair cut in to a mohawk. (When we went to the hair salon he told the stylist he wanted a "crest." She looked at me and I said - "Like a Dinosaur. He wants a mohawk." He giggled through the whole hair cut as he got his way. This week he saw my henna tattoos and wanted some of his own. (In the same places too.) He insisted that I draw on him a Spinosaurus and a Pteranadon. He also watched me copying patterns out of a binder. He got a binder, drew all of his dinosaurs in it and then demanded that I copy his henna tattoos out of his binder. I love his dinosaurs. I had no problem with this. The challenge was making them as cool as he did.

I hope he continues to be unique. Continues to not give a care about what others thing and goes in the path of standing out when it makes him feel confident in himself. I fear the upcoming years will rob him of that, so I am going to encourage him as much as possible in the meantime.