What a swimmer!



Ethan is the one in the red and white-striped shorts.  (just in case you didn't see the recurring theme).  These pictures were from his friend's birthday party (I think in October 2009).  I thank Trevor's mom for all the pictures!!

 I love watching Ethan in action.  I know this isn't quite a video. But, the kid was always on the go!  He loved running, playing, jumping, kicking, hitting--anything physical.  He loved Trevor's birthday parties because they always had something physical to do. 

Ethan didn't always like swimming.  His second year in swimming (so he was 2 almost 3) he hated it.  I paid Ms. Sarah (awesome teacher, by the way) for these lessons, so I was determined to see them through.  However, Ethan would sit on the side of the pool and scream at the top of his lungs the entire half an hour.  I never knew why.  I think because he was being made to do it.  I took him out of swim because I was tired of listening to the screaming (it was a little too much).  I let swimming be something we did for "fun" even though I used all of Ms. Sarah's techniques while having "fun."  That's all we did that summer for Ethan.   From then on he was a fish.  He LOVED to swim and did great in the rest of his lessons.  I think he just wanted to do things when HE wanted to do them, not necessarily when mom did.  He was a joy :)

This TUESDAY last year was Tuesday, March 15.  There wasn't much planned except to hang out with the kids.  I took them shopping to Old Navy to get a St. Patrick's day shirt and to get me some clothes because I was heading to New York City on Thursday.  I was 6 months pregnant and was getting larger than most of my clothing.  I remember Ethan being so embarrassed to have to share a dressing room with me.  However, I needed to make sure the dress fit me and he had picked out a couple of t-shirts I wanted to make sure fit him.  The t-shirt we got him, which I saved in his hope chest, was a black t-shirt with a green skull on it.  In the skull was a football.  He liked to think his brain was just a football--living, breathing football!  It wasn't quite what I was picturing for a St. Patrick's day t-shirt, but it had green on it.  So, we left with that for him and an actual St. Patrick's shirt for Madilyn.

We stopped by Camie and Joel's and they played with their cousins for a few minutes.  Afterwards, we were headed home and Ethan kept bugging me to call Drew.  Drew is my 25 yr old cousin (or somewhere in that age bracket) who had mentioned the previous Saturday he would challenge Ethan to Madden 10 any time. Ethan loved Madden 10.  He begged me to call and I kept putting it off.  I finally gave in.  Although I may have text it because I wasn't really wanting to ask my cousin to spend the day with my 7 yr old.  However, Drew said the next day would be fine.  I cannot tell you how excited my little guy was!!!  Someone who would play Madden 10 with him and there would be no one else around to bug him.  He was definitely looking forward to it all night.

I just can't describe in words what it is like to miss a child.  Or what it is like to have them one day and not the next.  I try each day to put into words so I can help others understand.  I just have decided I don't think its possible.  It just hurts.  It hurts like nothing else I can compare.  But, how happy we are to have had him with us.  We are lucky to be his parents.