I am thankful for Daniel!

Now it is time to be thankful for my children. I WAS going to do this sooner but ok better late than never!
Daniel is my first born. He is 10 years old as I write this. First of all, I am TRULY thankful to even have children. And I do not say that or take it lightly. There are so many people that I know PERSONALLY who struggle with infertility and I cannot know what you are going through. But I can say that I have learned by watching you to be so thankful to have been pregnant without medical intervention. And pregnant with little complication and 5 healthy wonderful babies. I do not take that for granted. I appreciate that fact so much, because without even thinking about what goes on, pregnancy and birth is such a miracle!!
On to Daniel, my beloved first born. He is a unique breed of boy. When he was born I was smitten, he was the most beautiful thing in the entire world, I could spend all day looking at him and didn't mind hearing him cry. He had to be hospitalized at 2 weeks old with an unknown fever. He had to have a spinal tap and they made me leave the room, I'm glad they did but at that moment, I was his mother. I was forever a mother. I FELT like a mother. I was going to protect that baby and do everything I could to make his life the best possible life. I am thankful that he was a boy. My dear husband had not been around babies too much so for him being so big to hold a little girl may have been too much. So having a boy not only secured the Bassett name to be passed on but gave my husband an excuse to watch more football. I love Daniel so dearly, I am thankful for the ways that having this child has taught me about my relationship with the Lord. When I find myself saying, "Why don't you get it yet, I have been clear and yet you still do the same mistakes over and over." I find myself thinking that that is what the Lord is trying to say to me about things I do! I am thankful for that because it lets me be more merciful to him when he does do some things wrong. I am thankful for him because otherwise I'd be incredibly selfish. I already am to a point but I know that I would be lazy and selfish without children. I had to grow up. Someone else mattered more than me. We homeschooled for a while and I really like homeschooling in general. I did not do it well FOR HIM. It would have gone better had he been a little more motivated student. Even in school there is a part of him that doesn't care. At a time that I should be able to just check over his homework and say "good job" I have to sit with him and make him do extra if he gives me lip. I have to stay on top of him or he will walk all over my carefree personality. I have had to adapt my personality (have fun all the time) to what he needs (schedules and rules) . And it is not a bad thing, out of my comfort zone, but a great way for me to learn and stretch myself. My idea of homeschooling would be to explore a subject and go lay a blanket out in the park and devour book after book and then go for a visit to someone/somewhere that will be exciting. Daniel would do that and then not remember anything! He doesn't do well on tests. I am thankful for that because when he puts in the extra effort for the test, maybe he does good on the test and maybe not, but when he puts in that extra effort it will help him later on when there is a problem that he can't solve. I am thankful for him mostly because he pushes my buttons. I know that sounds weird but if he didn't push them someone would who was less forgiving and although it is frustrating many times a day, I have to learn to get rid of those buttons! Then I wouldn't get so worked up in the first place! But enough about me, let me list some things that are really great about Daniel;
he has beautiful blue eyes, he is strong and getting taller by the second, he is an incredible athlete (he picks up sports so easily, masters everything he tries), he is a wonderful big brother, he is a great help in the family, he is sweet, gives hugs, loves to show us when he does great on his video game (all the time), he is sensitive to God and what God wants, he asks great questions about life, he is your all around typical boy who struggles at times how to be a man but with the Lord, he will go so far. Not sure at this point where he may end up, but with his spirit I will love to watch it happen. I hope I didn't miss my point here to say that I am so thankful for my son, Daniel, and the joy he has brought to my life and for what having him has taught me. I think my son is so neat and can't wait to see what is in store for him!
bye for now!