Double Digits
November 18, 2010
The Tenth Year from chris on Vimeo.
I watch the video and think of all the other moments:
the vacation at the beach
the paintball party
the basketball games at the hoop across the street from us
the way you get out of bed every morning without a fight
the swim lessons
the parties
the time you got to be an extra on Friday Night Lights
the omlettes and French toast you cook yourself
your voice when you called to tell me your TAKS scores
your quick wit and sarcasm
the look you give me when you are angry
the way your eyes twinkle when you smile
the way you make me laugh, even when I don’t want to
how you still want to snuggle up next to me on the couch or read in my bed
There is no way to really encompass a year, without living it over again. But one thing I know about you, you squeeze every last drop of life out of every single day. You are a risk taker. I love that about you. Probably because it is so very unlike me.
My love for you is as intense and fierce as you. I can’t wait to see what the next decade brings. The only thing of which I am certain is that it will be a wild roller coaster ride. We will love most of it, hate some of it, and scream a whole lot. I can only hope that at the end we will look at each other and say, “I enjoyed the shit out of that ride.” Well, that and that we both survive.
This too shall pass. I say that a lot. It is supposed to be a comfort. A reassurance that things will not always be the way they are right now. But along with the challenging stuff, so passes the good. And that is the bittersweet part of being your mother. There is so much that I will miss about the you that you are right now.
And now I am going to go cry a few tears. You are so beautiful and precious to me that the thought of you growing up, all the way up, stabs my heart a little.
Happy Birthday. Welcome to double digits.
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Loved that video, especially how you just took in the last year, happy birthday ten year old!!
November 18th, 2010 at 11:02 ammade me cry!
November 18th, 2010 at 11:24 amHow can I NOT comment on this post and your amazing video??? No wonder you went to shed a few tears, I had tears in my eyes after watching!!!!
November 18th, 2010 at 11:27 amGood Lord, Chris, you have GOT to lower the bar for the rest of us…I only have two and certainly neither of them have gotten a video like that (also, you know, I don’t know to how to, like, make one of those or anything…hehehe)
Happy Birthday to Mister Ten and CONGRATULATIONS to you, Chris, you are such a special and wonderful mother.
Wow, Chris. The video and your words resonate the love you have for your son, and all your kids. I hope he has a great day and another great year.
November 18th, 2010 at 11:34 amYou have just raised the bar on “birthday tributes.” I dare anyone to watch that video and not cry. Well done!
And Happy Birthday to your double-digit, Beautiful Boy!
November 18th, 2010 at 11:53 amI am at work in tears!! Such a beautiful post.
November 18th, 2010 at 12:05 pmChris you have out done yourself with this post!!!!!!!!
Happy 10th to you and yours
November 18th, 2010 at 12:26 pmabsolutely beautiful, beatiful video!
and whatever the hard times are, hope you all come out stronger for it!
November 18th, 2010 at 1:17 pmoh…and an extra on FNL? Love those Taylors!
November 18th, 2010 at 1:18 pmThat was beautiful! Made me cry…in a good way.
November 18th, 2010 at 1:30 pmOh No… I cry when I read your birthday comments to your children, now with video I am really going to be sobbing! Happy Birthday to your 10 year old!!
November 18th, 2010 at 1:31 pmyou nail it every time. made me cry.
November 18th, 2010 at 1:34 pmJust lovely. I need to learn how to do that with photos. Thanks for sharing!
November 18th, 2010 at 1:56 pmHe is, indeed, a beautiful boy. Happy birthday to him!
And I am so jealous about the FNL appearance! Can you tell us when he’ll be on (or was it already?) My favorite show.
I feel like I need to get a bit more serious about taking photos of my girls …. I couldn’t make a video like this if I wanted to!
November 18th, 2010 at 2:03 pmYep, this made me teary eyed, especially there at the end. Beautiful video. 10 years old is a wonderful age! enjoy.
November 18th, 2010 at 2:07 pmOH MY! My own heart was stabbed by your beautiful boy. Happy birthday, Double Digits! I hope your day is as beautiful as your family.
November 18th, 2010 at 2:20 pmThat was wonderful! My daughter just turned ten yesterday and I swear she seems to share a lot of the personality traits you described for your son!
November 18th, 2010 at 2:40 pmK…I cried too! My son is turning 10 this year too…they seem to be caught between a big kid and a little kid at this age…I want to keep him little forever but love the boy he is growing into…you spoke right to my heart!
November 18th, 2010 at 3:16 pmOMG….so beautiful…sobbing right here…could it have been my lunch with 3 wines…not really. I have a beautiful 17 y.o. girl and a soon to be 14 y.o. son I so wish I had the talent to do that video Chris. Made me smile and cry and oh damn…I’m opening up some wine…I heart you. Happy Birthday you beautiful boy. xo
November 18th, 2010 at 3:20 pmBeautiful is sort of an understatement. What an amazing bunch of moments captured. I have a new appreciation for how many pictures you actually take every day…just seeing what you have done for one child.
He and your daugter look SOOOO much alike to me.
Happy birthday, handsome Fabio.
November 18th, 2010 at 3:32 pmGorgeous! I was misting up a little there. Happy birthday to your son from a fellow Scorpio!
November 18th, 2010 at 4:02 pmYour writing makes me cry, but in a good way. That’s why I keep coming back to read your blog. Thanks for continuing to write and post it to the world.
I hope your child had a wonderful birthday and that you both will enjoy many more decades of memories together!!!
November 18th, 2010 at 4:21 pmOh my gosh…he and your daughter could be twins! Happy birthday!
November 18th, 2010 at 4:33 pmSo glad you posted these words. Today was a difficult day with my 12-day-old baby boy who decided to start asserting his personality and stop being a perfect little newborn. Good to know there is fun stuff ahead, because I can’t see past three peed-through outfits and a million diapers.
November 18th, 2010 at 6:02 pmwow! what a stunning video. you’re an amazing mum! so many awesome photo-moments captured there!
definitely something to show him on his 30th
November 18th, 2010 at 6:06 pmBeautiful. Made me cry, too. Happy Birthday Double Digits!
November 18th, 2010 at 6:19 pmAlso, Chris, your Work It, Mom! recipe for corn chowder is bubbling away on my stove right now…I love reading your recipes, made the spicy potato wedges for breakfast this AM with scrambled eggs!!!
November 18th, 2010 at 8:15 pmThat was so beautiful. Happy B day to the newest 10 yr old. Only 2 in single digits now?
November 18th, 2010 at 9:11 pmThat was sheer perfection.
Thank you for sharing that with us.
November 18th, 2010 at 10:17 pmAll I can say is WOW and that I am quite jealous! Lovely video - brought happy tears to the eyes. But more importantly you articulated your feelings in a manner that hopefully he would cherish as an adult. Happy Birthday, Beautiful Boy…
November 18th, 2010 at 11:54 pmHappy birthday to your beautiful boy! That was a wonderful compilation of this past year. LOVED IT!
November 19th, 2010 at 1:45 amYou have a very special, and potentially even evil, talent for writing (and filming) the most tear-jerker entries!
November 19th, 2010 at 7:04 amHappy Birthday to Mr. Amazing!
November 19th, 2010 at 7:12 amOh gah - I’m sobbing in my coffee! I have had such a challenging week with one of my kids - I’ve completely forgotten to enjoy the shit out of all of them because of it. Thanks for the reminder. And Happy Birthday to Mr. 10 Year Old!
November 19th, 2010 at 8:56 amOh my goodness—-such a precious video! Made me cry! Enjoy celebrating your wonderful son’s birthday~~~~ Thanks for sharing with us!
November 19th, 2010 at 11:31 amThat was so sweet. Makes me want to go yank my two beautiful boys out of school and kiss them all over. Thanks for posting that.
November 19th, 2010 at 11:44 amThis video is outstanding. He is a beautiful boy. All your children are stunning though……….
November 19th, 2010 at 12:08 pm*gulp*
November 19th, 2010 at 4:19 pmThat’s just….. beautiful.
Lucky boy to have such a great momma
xxx
Wow, the love you have is powerful and shines through loudly.
Is that John Lennon singing? I sounds like Ben Harper to me. I couldn’t find a music credit and I’ve been going crazy trying to find that version, I love it.
November 19th, 2010 at 6:19 pmLet me just add that, as a mom, YOU ROCK!!!
November 19th, 2010 at 8:30 pmWait. Back up. Your son got to be an extra on FNL?!
November 19th, 2010 at 8:52 pmYou made me cry. Happy tears. Thanks for sharing Chris.
November 20th, 2010 at 7:31 amYeah that is just too sweet……I wish I had a video or two of my kids at that age………what a nice way to remember a “year in the life” of your beautiful boy.
Happy Thanksgiving
November 20th, 2010 at 10:18 pmBeautiful video….10 is pretty awesome (I think). My 10yr. old son makes me smile like your video did. Happy Birthday to him!
November 21st, 2010 at 1:19 amChris, that was beautiful.
I wish I was your child.
November 21st, 2010 at 2:12 amYour boy IS beautiful. . . all your children are.
That made me cry.
You’re both luck to have each other.
Beautiful boy indeed…that made me cry…my one and only beautiful boy is a senior this year…I cry all the time!
November 21st, 2010 at 10:51 pmWell done Chris…I’m now blubbering mess. Thanks for sharing this beautiful video of your beautiful boy.
November 22nd, 2010 at 11:34 ami don’t call myself sentimental, but that made me well up a bit.
November 23rd, 2010 at 7:12 pmreally nice video and post.
Doesn’t Mr. Holland sing that son??
November 24th, 2010 at 1:19 amThat is really cool. What a great tribute to your boy!!