Badass Kid

It's the day before my birthday and we were visiting C's parents.  We'd all gone out to lunch, and as we were walking to the car, JH was leaning on my shoulder, holding my hand.  Behind me, I could feel my mother-in-law and sister-in-law taking in this sight:  this nearly thirteen year old boy, a hair shorter than his ol' ma, holding her hand, unafraid of what anyone else might think.  

As we cleared the corner of the building, two boys about fourteen years old, in droopy shorts and cool hats perched on top of their heads like fully popped jiffy pop pans, came around heading in our direction.  

If my son is nearly as smooth with his future girlfriends getting his hand IN theirs as he was getting his hand OUT of mine?   Those girls are in big trouble.  Because it was effortless and seamless and a thing of beauty, really.  If our hand-holding were an object, say, and you were looking at it, why it would have just disappeared before your very eyes!  

As we cleared the boys, I chuckled and said to him, very low and quiet, out of the corner of my mouth: "were you busted?"  and he smiled back, shook his head, looked down with bright red cheeks and said just as quietly "so busted."

The next morning this is the card he gave me.  I am going to have it framed.

the inside of my birthday card from JH

In case you can't read his writing, it says:

Happy Birthday!  To the best mom in this entire galaxy.  

Mommah, whether it's you poning* me at H.O.R.S.E., (by one letter, I might add) or just chillin', I love hanging out with you.  No matter how "unkew"** it is to give u hugs or hold hands, I'm always ur son.  

Here's to you, Ma.

Love, 

JH

(ps.s  It's only when the badass people are around that I won't give you the x's and o's that you deserve)

* this means "owning" or "winning", with smacktalk.  It might also be a sexual term adopted by middle school boys, or idiots who play videogames online but if this is the case, JH and I don't know it.  And I don't want to know it.  So I'm not going to look it up.  Dammit.  Of course I looked it up.  And yes I will be talking to him about this term. 

**think Erik Cartman.  Yes, we let him watch South Park on occasion.  And we've started letting him play some "M" games on his xbox.  

It's a whole new, almost a teenager, badass world.