Adam Harrison Reed
….turned ten years old today! My animated, awesomest Aries [because I did the alliteration with Tatum’s birthday post I had to follow suit with brother] finally reached the double digit milestone. This mama simply cannot comprehend that her firstborn child has graced us with his presence for a decade. What?! Have I really been a parent for that long? Despite the fact that time often flies by at lightening speed, it still seems like forever ago since my giddy yet terrified 22 year old self gave birth at Baptist Women’s Hospital.
Let’s take a moment to get real before I bestow heaps of praise upon him. Adam tests boundaries and pushes buttons like no other. I’m shocked that our smoke alarm doesn’t go off more often with all the steam rising from my ears. There have been many a threat from the mouths of a peeved adult– Santa skipping the house indefinitely, grounded until legal adulthood, being exiled to Siberia just to name a few. Yet there has never been a boy as caring and compassionate as my son. He has a heart of gold that constantly manifests itself and cannot stand to see people hurting. He is wise beyond his years and intuitive in a way most children his age aren’t. He’s clever with a delightful sense of humor [even if much of it involves bodily functions and bizarre YouTube antics] and makes me laugh until my sides hurt. It’s impossible to stay mad at him for long because of his charm and charisma. I consider him my little man of the house. When I’m giving myself grief about my shortcomings, he’s the first to leap to my defense and brighten my spirits. His frequent affirmation that I am a “great mom who does the best she can with what she has” reassures me that I am blessed beyond measure to have this brilliant boy as my son. Watching him love, protect, and interact with his little sister touches me to the core. There is not a better big brother than Adam, who treats the role with reverence and respect.
Staying true to our 2018 modus operandi for the Wilke/Reed household the celebration for his actual day of birth was low key. Considering it fell on a Monday, his major present was delayed in the mail, and we’re holding off on a joint soiree with sister….we kept it casual. Armed with Chik Fil A and cupcakes [are we noticing a theme yet with the cuisines preferred by my children?], Dad and I hit the third grade lunch at Riverdale.
So glad I made the group photo the second the kids plopped down instead of fighting against four rambunctious boys hyped up on sugar. 
Don’t write us off as world’s most dysfunctional clan because this combined birthday bash I’ve been speaking of for 4594324 years hasn’t happened. Without going into too much detail, our family’s collective and individual plates don’t just have a lot on them– they are overflowing. Hopefully Mr. Technology’s new iPhone [he’s not spoiled] distracts him to the point that he forgets he even has birthdays. Maybe we’ll see him after his second decade. 
I look at this collage I made of Adam’s first five birthdays and my heart swells with pride. That smiling, youthful toddler blossomed into a young man who makes all who love him proud. His maturity, resiliency, and inner strength inspires me daily. Ours may be a slightly unconventional parent/child relationship– we speak candidly with each other and I treat him as an equal [albeit at an age appropriate level– and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I want him to know that he will always have his mother as his fiercest advocate and biggest fan. Adam, my spunky soldier, I love you. 
With infinite love, gratitude, and respect,
Sloane
