As my son Tyler officially turns into a teenager this month on July 28, I can’t help but look at him and know I really have to start cherishing every moment with this kid. He is almost taller than me, and his feet are as big as his dad’s. It was just yesterday he was running around with his Lightning McQueen sippy cup and carrying around his bowl of goldfish. Now he eats a whole bag of goldfish and would drink a gallon of sweet tea if I let him. He is growing faster than I like, and time seems to go by quicker with each year. This kid loves his momma. Safe to say, he is a major momma’s boy. I love that he can tell me anything and is always so open and honest with me. We love joking with each other and having fun.
Since he was little, Tyler has always idolized his Uncle Luke. My brother is a country music fan; while I enjoy country music, rock is my favorite. My husband is the same way. Ty used to tell us that rock stinks and country was the best. I still think it’s because his uncle listened to it, so Ty did. He has always thought his uncle just walked on water. Honestly, as his sister, he really does. He is one of those guys that everyone loves and is a stand-up guy. But my husband is the same way. Tyler is so lucky to have many wonderful men in his life to look up to. While growing up, people would tell Ty that he looked just like his dad but had others say he looked just like his uncle. Well, he just loved that! Last week my cousin Rachel Barreto came into town and hadn’t seen Ty in months. She told him he looks so much like his dad the older he gets but was one of those who told him he looked like my brother years ago.
Tyler said, “Yeah, I do. But I still look more like Uncle Luke, though.”
I cracked up. He acts like his dad isn’t a good-looking guy. (Um, let me tell you that his dad is one fine-grade piece of meat, OK?) His uncle is a good-looking guy too! I just think it’s so sweet how much he idolizes my brother and wants to look just like him, not his dad. Ty started racing motocross, and the first person he had to call was his Unc to invite him to his race. Ty rides like my brother; he is natural on a dirt bike and fearless. So whatever Luke tells him, he listens and does.
But something changed in him recently with music. Once he got a phone at Christmas, he started downloading music and would hook it up to our car. We were hearing Skillet, Avenged Sevenfold, and Shinedown. I honestly thought it was my husband’s phone until I found out it was music coming from Ty’s phone. Chris and I were shocked! We asked when the heck he started listening to rock over country!?
The other night driving home from my momma’s for dinner, Ty was in the passenger’s seat, wanting to hook up his phone to the car for our big four-mile drive home. It wouldn’t sync because it was already hooked to my phone. He interrupted a good Shinedown song on 94.9 to change the input. After a mile of his phone not syncing, I turned the radio back on. 94.9 was commercial, so I hit the 99.3 button. Commercial. Darn! OK, let’s check out 95.5. Commercial. Come on now! So, I skipped to 102.7. “Africa” by Toto came on. I started tapping on the steering wheel as Ty looked at me and said, “Oh no, no, no. I am not listening to this crap!”
I start singing, “I bless the rains down in Africaaaaaa! Gonna take some time to do the things we never hadddd haddddd.” And then air played the flute part.
He frantically scrambled for his earbuds and put them in his ears as I tried to sing louder. The song ended, and I switched back to 95.5. Good ole George Strait was on singing about Love without End, Amen. The chorus came on, and instead of using the word daddy, I replaced it with momma. “Let me tell you a secret about a momma’s love. A secret that my momma said was just between us.” I tried taking one of his earphones out so he could hear me as he was singing over me going, “Burn Burnnn.” I knew he was listening to Papa Roach.
“I’m listening to real music!” he exclaimed.
I love Papa Roach, but annoying him was way more fun!
Kenzy started singing loudly with me during the chorus until we reached our driveway, and I turned the car off. Ty put an earbud in my ear so we could finish the song out on our walk up the driveway together.
Six months ago, he hated rock n’ roll, had smaller feet, and was shorter. Six months ago, he didn’t have armpit hair!! Now he is going to be thirteen and is changing so much every day. But knowing I’ll always be his momma and can annoy him anytime and have special moments like that is a good feeling. He makes me smile every day, and I love the times like this that we have together. Just him putting that earbud in my ear for our walk up the steps is something I’ll never forget. A momma and son bond is truly a special thing.
Sweet Tea
Boil a medium pot of water; about 6 cups.
When it comes to a boil, take off the burner and put in 6 Tetley tea bags with strings hanging off the pot. (Any tea will do, but Tetley is my favorite.) Place lid on top and let simmer off burner 20 minutes. In the meantime, get a gallon pitcher and put in 1 1/2 cups of sugar. Fill 1/4 of the way up with ice cubes. Take the pot of hot brewed tea and dump into the gallon pitcher. Leave the bags in the pot, and keep filling with cold water until the pitcher is filled. Refrigerate until cold.
