Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Musings : Happy Birthday Booger
Musings : Happy Birthday Booger: Thirty-five years ago today, a very small baby was born. He was a premie with respiratory distress, but God was very gracious. He heard an...
Happy Birthday Booger
Thirty-five years ago today, a very small baby was born. He was a premie with respiratory distress, but God was very gracious. He heard and answered the prayers prayed by his family. The days and weeks spent at Texas Children's Hospital allowed this little one to gain strength and add weight. I would often say that I thought the doctors were putting rapid grow into his IV. Finally, Booger, as he became known in the hospital, came home to his waiting family. With five living siblings, he was loved beyond belief! John became his protector and mentor--they were inseparable.
One day, while preparing dinner, I glanced out the window and saw this young man riding his bicycle down the street and he had this young "baby" sitting on his shoulders and holding to his head. My first though was, who would allow such a thing. My next thought was, "oh no, that is John and Booger." My knees weakened and I was struck "dumb." Eventually, they made their way back home and I was scared to death, not knowing what to say or how to say it. John lifted Booger from his shoulders with a big grin that was matched by the grin on Boo's face. "See Mom, he loves it!"
When Booger was just learning to walk, he was following John from the living room to the kitchen, when he stopped mid step. He was looking at the wall and his shadow was looking back. He was some what fearful of taking the next step. We laughed and I said he sees his shadow which caused him to look around for John's dog--Shadow.
Around that same time, we decided to watch Planet of the Apes debut on TV. Boo was glued to the TV. And, then bed time came... LOL
He was such a joy to watch grow, and grow he did. He was playing football with John and his friends at two. If the truth were known, I think he may have been the football! I never asked. It was better that way.
He began to have asthma problems soon after David was born. One morning he woke me with wheezing, and I was really scared for him. I called a friend to watch David while I took Booger to the doctor's, and while waiting, Boo wrapped his arms around me and said, "Mom, would you please pray for me?" He had such a tender heart.
Right after moving to Rio Hondo, the children and I were praying, and we hear this little voice saying, "Lord, this is Booger and I am in little ol Rio Hondo, do you know where that is?" Only those from Rio Hondo can appreciate that!
It was good raising the kids in Rio Hondo because they were able to become involved more in FFA and 4H. Boog loved the animals and following Johnny and Jason around. Once he was in school he was forever asking when he could have a hog. Again, those from Rio Hondo would understand this, too. :-)
When Booger was in first grade, his teacher (please, don't anyone who knows say who) refused to call him Booger. One day in the cafeteria Ms. Brackin sees him and says hello Booger, as only Ms. Brackin could, and the teacher says, "His name us Claude." To which Ms. Brackin said, "Well, I'll be darned, sure looks like Booger to me."
I sent a package of things I had collected over the years to this teacher so that she could see that the name Booger meant Rascal as well as what she thought it meant. I had a paper article talking about a county in Texas that has the nickname Booger; I sent an article about a rodeo clown named Booger; and match book covers that depicted a family of Holsteins with a son called Booger. She finally allowed others to call him Booger, but she never would.
Booger grew and became involved in FFA, sports, student council and a lot of mischief. He and his friends found much to get into, daily. To Boog, his friends were like family. I didn't realize how much they meant to him until I began to hear the stories shared once he left us. I believe his love for his friends was matched by theirs for him.
The Bobcats were playing La Feria the last time I saw him. He and Chula and another friend came walking into the game at half time. I was sitting in the stands. He called from the Hills after the game because he could not believe the Bobcats had won. We talked for a few minutes about the game and as we were getting ready to hang up I said, "I love you Booger." He said, "I love you too Mom." His final words to me, but words that were and are so meaningful. I sure miss that Rascal!
When I see his friends on facebook, I often wonder what Boog would look like and what he might be doing. But, I know that nothing he would be doing would ever compare to the streets of gold and times he and John are having. Those two boys are once more tumbling around and enjoying one another's company--of that I have no doubt.
Happy Birthday Booger!
One day, while preparing dinner, I glanced out the window and saw this young man riding his bicycle down the street and he had this young "baby" sitting on his shoulders and holding to his head. My first though was, who would allow such a thing. My next thought was, "oh no, that is John and Booger." My knees weakened and I was struck "dumb." Eventually, they made their way back home and I was scared to death, not knowing what to say or how to say it. John lifted Booger from his shoulders with a big grin that was matched by the grin on Boo's face. "See Mom, he loves it!"
When Booger was just learning to walk, he was following John from the living room to the kitchen, when he stopped mid step. He was looking at the wall and his shadow was looking back. He was some what fearful of taking the next step. We laughed and I said he sees his shadow which caused him to look around for John's dog--Shadow.
Around that same time, we decided to watch Planet of the Apes debut on TV. Boo was glued to the TV. And, then bed time came... LOL
He was such a joy to watch grow, and grow he did. He was playing football with John and his friends at two. If the truth were known, I think he may have been the football! I never asked. It was better that way.
He began to have asthma problems soon after David was born. One morning he woke me with wheezing, and I was really scared for him. I called a friend to watch David while I took Booger to the doctor's, and while waiting, Boo wrapped his arms around me and said, "Mom, would you please pray for me?" He had such a tender heart.
Right after moving to Rio Hondo, the children and I were praying, and we hear this little voice saying, "Lord, this is Booger and I am in little ol Rio Hondo, do you know where that is?" Only those from Rio Hondo can appreciate that!
It was good raising the kids in Rio Hondo because they were able to become involved more in FFA and 4H. Boog loved the animals and following Johnny and Jason around. Once he was in school he was forever asking when he could have a hog. Again, those from Rio Hondo would understand this, too. :-)
When Booger was in first grade, his teacher (please, don't anyone who knows say who) refused to call him Booger. One day in the cafeteria Ms. Brackin sees him and says hello Booger, as only Ms. Brackin could, and the teacher says, "His name us Claude." To which Ms. Brackin said, "Well, I'll be darned, sure looks like Booger to me."
I sent a package of things I had collected over the years to this teacher so that she could see that the name Booger meant Rascal as well as what she thought it meant. I had a paper article talking about a county in Texas that has the nickname Booger; I sent an article about a rodeo clown named Booger; and match book covers that depicted a family of Holsteins with a son called Booger. She finally allowed others to call him Booger, but she never would.
Booger grew and became involved in FFA, sports, student council and a lot of mischief. He and his friends found much to get into, daily. To Boog, his friends were like family. I didn't realize how much they meant to him until I began to hear the stories shared once he left us. I believe his love for his friends was matched by theirs for him.
The Bobcats were playing La Feria the last time I saw him. He and Chula and another friend came walking into the game at half time. I was sitting in the stands. He called from the Hills after the game because he could not believe the Bobcats had won. We talked for a few minutes about the game and as we were getting ready to hang up I said, "I love you Booger." He said, "I love you too Mom." His final words to me, but words that were and are so meaningful. I sure miss that Rascal!
When I see his friends on facebook, I often wonder what Boog would look like and what he might be doing. But, I know that nothing he would be doing would ever compare to the streets of gold and times he and John are having. Those two boys are once more tumbling around and enjoying one another's company--of that I have no doubt.
Happy Birthday Booger!
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