Introducing My Son

Now that I've told you a bit about myself, I thought I would introduce my son. After all, as a stay-at-home-parent, he occupies much of my time and my thoughts, and will occupy a great deal of space on this blog.

He is wonderful. He is 15 months old and toddling at top speed all over the house and the neighborhood. His reach increases daily, as do his chances of causing mischief. He is the cutest thing I've ever seen, and he has the most delightful laugh. He is very generous with hugs, and while he is usually on-the-go, he can be snuggly when he's tired. He is extremely energetic. He is curious about everything and is an excellent problem solver. He's a very smart cookie--only don't use that phrase around him or he'll reach toward the top of the cabinets, where we keep the sweets. He learns new things every day, although he is seldom fast enough for his own taste, and gets frustrated when he can't figure things out. He is very stubborn, and wants to do everything himself and in his own way. In short, he is a wonderful child and I am a star-struck Mommy.

My son is also a superhero.

It's true. My son has a super power. His superhero name is Banshee Baby.

Of course, the problem you encounter with 15-month-old superheroes is that they are untrained. They have yet to learn that their powers bear great responsibility. They must learn only to use their powers for good--a lesson that Banshee Baby has resisted. He uses his super lungs not just for the good of humankind, but also when he is excited, when he wants something, when he is upset, when he wants attention, and just when he feels like making noise. Which means that I have to fight his superpower with superpatience. Which brings me to my alter-ego: MOMthra.

I must confess, I didn't complete my super training. My superpatience runs out, particularly when Banshee Baby lets loose one of his loudest eardrum-splitting screams. The ones that cause physical pain as well as bring on early hearing loss. But I do my best, which is all we can expect of anyone.

I shall speak of my son a lot, both of his amazing accomplishments and of my thoughts, successes, and failures as a parent. And, of course, I will tell of the amazing adventures of Banshee Baby and MOMthra.