 There's nothing nicer than little boys With frogs in their pockets and dirt and noise With angelic grins on their mischievous faces And patches and rips in the funniest places With their baseball bats and their microscopes Their games and laughter and hidden hopes... Oh, the pets they beg for--the rabbits, The snakes or iguanas or squirrels-- No, there's nothing nicer than little boys (Except, maybe...little girls!) --From Uncle Danny & Auntie Didang Your Firsts I quit work and stayed home to care for you; I wanted to be the first one to listen To your first word, see your first smile, your first step; Oh, this privilege to a babysitter shall not be given. It was awfully rewarding staying home with you For you were such a joy to have around; I knew for sure I wouldn't have it any other way, Yes, happiness was being with you I found. Your first sweet smile, your first word, When you crawled, the first faltering step you took, Your first tricycle ride, your first day in school, All were recorded in your yellow baby book. As you grew, you were constantly surprising me With things I didn't expect for you to know; Your vocabulary flourished like the wildflowers Growing in colorful profusion in the meadow. You always wanted to be the one to say grace To thank the Lord for the food and for His care; You wanted to name all the items on your plate, So you took a peek to see what else were there. At two you were presented to the Lord In a special baby dedication ceremony; Pastor Locke delivered a fitting message of need For parental wisdom, love, patience and sympathy. 'Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the Kingdom of God.' This scripture was read and prayer was offered For the Lord to be with you as you travel this sod. We worshipped God in the morning and evening, We thanked and praised Him for His watchful care; We asked Him for Light, for Wisdom, and Guidance, And for His Presence to be ever so near. Our worship on the Sabbath was extra special, What a joy and delight to meet with Him! A special blessing to us was promised in Isaiah 58 verses thirteen and fourteen.  The coffee table where we placed my Bible, your Bible Stories, a hymnal--we called our 'worship table'; To make the Sabbath even more special--on this 'Worship table' we placed some flowers and a scented candle. 
 You insisted the coffee table at Auntie Ruth's house Was not a coffee table but a 'worship table'; Oh, that every coffee table in every home Is used in the worship of the 'God who is able'. We visited cousin Esther in National City; Her granddaughter Roselle and you were playing; 'Do you go to church?' you asked, and she said 'No', 'At least she's not lying' her mother was saying. I wanted you to grow up healthy and strong So a teaspoon of codliver oil to you I gave. I should have been prepared for what came next-- The codliver oil you spat in my face. Refined products, white sugar, candies, and sodas When you were little we didn't partake; What a challenge to show appreciation and tact To a neighbor who baked you a beautiful birthday cake!  At two and a half you were such a conservationist, Flushing down the toilet, you said, was wasting water. Turning on your 5-watt nightlight at night Was not a light but a serious and delicate matter. You were only three and sitting on the potty While I was at the sink brushing my teeth When out of the blue, you asked: 'Do you need a husband?' I nearly swallowed my toothbrush, you see. The first funeral you saw was when you were three, You didn't show any sign of death to fear; They closed the coffin, and you turned to me and said: 'Mama, the man will suffocate; he needs air.' Again you were three when your first story you told; Here it is underlined and in letters bold: 'Once upon a time there was a mommy who got really angry at her baby and threw the baby in the garbage can. The neighbors saw it, and they called the police. The police came and took the mommy and put her in jail.' I'd say your story was tragic beyond measure, But it's your first story so it's a treasure. You enjoyed playing with words and making them rhyme; You marched around a 5-gallon water jug chanting: 'Ring around the bottle, a pocket full of pattle, One, two, three tumble down' and fell on the floor panting. So you see, if I had not stayed home with you I would have missed out on a lot of things, wouldn't I? Your first smile, your first step, your first word, Your first story and rhyme would all pass me by. --Mother Learning Was Fun Learning can be tedious and hard, But it's a choice for a mother to make She can make learning fun, As fun as a summer picnic by a placid lake. To teach you about Nature we went To the backyard and to the neighborhood park to see The flowers, the birds, and the trees That God created for you and for me.  Oh, the fun the zoo animals could bring, We even learned this song to sing: 'Salamander, woodchuck, tiger, bear, Rattlesnake, buffalo, long-eared hare. Alligator, hedgehog, tiger, goose, Elephant, kangaroo, chipmunk, moose. Turtle, panda, pony, clovern bat, Whippoorwill, woverine, montis cat. Crocodile, bluebird, zebra, lamb, Elephant, bullfrog, and camel, ram.' Delightful to behold at Yosemite National Park-- The friendly deer, the trees so tall, The waterfall cascading down a verdant path, Oh, the sight--the sound brought serenity to our souls.  (Reload to animate) Shapes and colors, shapes and colors-- How should these be taught? I asked myself seated on a sofa one day. Quickly the answer came and not for naught. 'Hang from the ceiling large cardboard Of circle, triangle, rectangle, pentagon and square, With different colors on their sides, Like balloons at a birthday party somewhere.' Everyday you saw these shapes and colors, Everyday you identified a shape and its color; I saw you were learning and appreciating The world full of exciting adventure and wonder. At sixteen months, you were naming The colors of cars you saw drive by-- Red car, blue car, green car, black car, White car, and 'laylo' car you said with a sigh. To be stopped in the way by a passing train, Oh, what a treat we so thoroughly enjoyed;  Funny, when this happens today It's a cause to be sorely annoyed. At two you were an observant little fellow; The colorful pattern on a stroller at a store You recognized as identical to the pattern of your high chair by our dining room door. I pointed out a greyhound bus to you one day, 'Oh, like dog!' you said as you pulled up your sock; Or, the Hostess products you saw at a store, Their package design was 'like picture on truck'. Our neighbor's little boy had long blond curly locks, He came to our driveway when I was hastily sweeping. 'I'm sorry little boy' I said when I swept dust at his feet. 'He's not a boy! He's not a boy!' you said laughing. Before you could pronounce the 'S' sound, Skunk was kunk, school was cool, star was tar; When you could pronounce 'S', you made your own rule: All words now preceeded with 'S'--s'dog, s'cat, s'car. Learning to count was unbelievably fun For we counted just about everything in sight-- The peas on your plate, the steps we took, The stars in the blackness of night. At two and a half you could differentiate Dollars, quarters, pennies, nickels and dimes; 
As could be seen in the following lines: The time I told you I ran out of money, You were concerned and wanted to help me a little; So quickly you told me to go the store, And buy some quarters, dimes, pennies, and nickels. I told you when you were a little older and wiser, That to earn money I needed to work outside the home; Later when I took you to work with me, you asked if the Money I earned came out of the keyboard I was working on.   Some nights I took you to the hospital where I worked, It was a situation where I felt I had no choice; My supervisor understood and the policy she winked at, So, there you were camped out with blankets, pillow, books, and toys. One day in kindergarten class, there was a discussion On which kid knew best the hospital and its affairs; Many said they did--their dads worked there as managers, You said you did--you lived there, ate there, slept there. It used to be when people asked your age, You, not only told them yours, but volunteered mine-- "I'm five, and my Mom is thirty-five!" Data discretion, I guessed, you'd learn in time. For scholastic, good citizenship and sportsmanship A Golden Apple Award at school you were given; As important as this was, one thing surpasses all-- A beautiful, symmetrical character suitable for Heaven. The theory of evolution--how ridiculous, how absurd! For the Word of God, in Genesis, plainly states That in six days God created the Heaven, the earth, The light, the vegetation, the animals and their mates. Learning about our world was so much fun, Reading, writing, and arithmetic helped us to learn Many things about our world, about God and His Son; Learning helps us prepare for our Heavenly home. Then, more than anything in the world I want Is for you to know and to walk in truth and love; And be ready to meet the Lord Jesus Christ When He comes from Heaven above. --Mother The Joy of Reading  I loved books and started reading to you When you were just a tiny, tiny baby. I was sure you didn't understand what I read, But it seemed you were listening intently. I was reading to you Bible stories-- Daniel in the lion's den, Joseph and his brothers, David and Goliath, Jonah and the whale, Zacchaeus, Peter, Paul, and many, many others. Then, I started reading to you mission stories-- Ana Stahl and others who went far, far away To boldly tell the message of salvation-- To show that Jesus is the only Way. You enjoyed our reading times together, 'Swift Arrow' you didn't want me to put down; You wanted to know what happened to the little boy The Indians kidnapped for their very own. 'The Bridge to Terabithia' another book you loved; I read and read until the book was done. The sad ending of the story made us cry, But rejoiced when a new queen for Terabithia was crowned. Many books I read aloud 'til my voice was hoarse. Some were funny, we laughed as hard as could be; Some were even funnier, I laughed with childish abandon, As always we treasured this moment of glee. Here were some of the books you really enjoyed-- The Boxcar Children, Fitzgerald's Great Brain Series, Pollyanna, Old Yeller, Where the Red Fern Grows, My Side of the Mountain, and Summer of the Monkeys. A book I read years before you were born, I know you'd thoroughly enjoy 'Tender Victory'; But I couldn't find it anywhere to save my life, It was not in libraries, bookstores--what a mystery! Then it was time for you to go to school, I didn't remember teaching you to read at home; Funny, but it seemed I turned around, And there you were reading quite well on your own. Not too long ago, you read and enjoyed a book And wanted to share the treasure you had found By reading the book aloud to me; I listened, remembering when it was the other way around. --Mother Play Time Our games were simple and fun, Hide and Seek we enjoyed playing Until when you couldn't find me And got terrified and started crying. You enjoyed rolling and kicking A three-foot radius inflatable beach ball; Climbing this mountain of a toy Almost always resulted in a fall. You enjoyed me holding your hands And swinging you round and round; I wouldn't stop 'til I got dizzy And to the floor we came tumbling down. You also enjoyed playing 'rocking horsey'-- I the horse, you the rider; You also enjoyed pretending you were flying High on the air like a self-propelled glider. We didn't play the 'See Manilla' game That my big brothers and even my Dad played; Holding me by the head, I was lifted off the ground-- It's a wonder I still have my head! --Mother Our Dog Rambo Uncle Rich brought home an adorable little mutt, Oh, how we loved him even from the start! We played with him and taught him tricks, This little mutt truly captured our hearts. Uncle Rich named him Rambo, and he was smart, He loved to run and play in the rain Until Auntie Ruth pointed to his dog house And in to the dog house he went. He grew big and husky, and he looked quite tough, But he was sweet and gentle to children and cats; One day he was lying down in the patio With a kitten sleeping peacefully on his back.  But he had a strange and unusual habit-- At the sound of a siren from a fire engine, A police car, or a speeding ambulance He would howl his head off in unison. Oh, he loved to run with a stick in his mouth, He did this and much, much more He ran and firmly gripped in his mouth Was a six-foot long two by four! There was a game in the yard where high in the air Uncle Rich threw a stick he had found; Rambo jumped high to retrieve it, and he did! But broke a leg when he crashed to the ground. He was in a cast and we kept him in the house, Oh, we wanted him to get well for we loved him so; We let him out to go potty one night and sad to say That was the last we've seen of Rambo. Oh, Rambo, how we missed you so! You came and sweetened our lives for a short while, Then wandered off, perchance, to bring to some Sad soul joy, gladness, sunshine and smile? --Mother Oh, once we had a playful dog, And Rambo was his name; R-A-M-B-O R-A-M-B-0 R-A-M-B-O ! And Rambo was His name. Singing They Go!   Singing was very much a part of our lives, We sang in the morning, at noon, and at night; We sang when the day was cloudy and dark, We sang when the day was sunny and bright. One day we sang 'Jesus Loves Me', To see what you'd do, I switched to a lower key; Without missing a beat, to the lower key you switched, And were in tune right along with me. We sang 'The Trees are gently Swaying', And pretended we were swaying trees so tall; God made the trees to show His love to us, Let's praise Him and respond to His loving call. 'The Raindrops Fall with a Pitter, Patter Pit' We sang this song over and over again. We know from God's Holy Word that For the flowers to grow, He sends the gentle rain. We sang about the rainbow arched across the sky, Its beautiful spectrum of colors--violet, indigo, Blue, green, yellow, orange, red--was glorious to behold; God made the rainbow because He loves us so. Oh, singing was very much a part of our lives, It was part of worshipping our God in Heaven; To save us from our sins and take us home, His only begotten Son to the world He has given.  'We're Marching to Zion' is a beautiful hymn. Oh, what joy and gladness to behold, we know, When God's people from all corners of the earth Are marching to Zion and singing they go! --Mother The Gift  Proud as you could be, You handed me for Mother's Day-- A precious gift you made in school, Lovingly packaged so bright and gay. Gingerly I unwrapped the gift, Your little hands had made, A little note that came with it With moistened eyes I read: "Here's a gift I have for you, You'll like it fine I know. For I have pressed my little hand With a bit of Plaster of Paris.  "It will help you to remember When I have grown so tall, That once I was quite little And my hand was very small. "So now for Mother's Day I'm giving this, you see, With a tiny note which says, 'Here's lots of love from me.'"  Today, Son, you have grown so big, And it seems like only yesterday You presented to me so lovingly The Plaster of Paris mold on Mother's Day. --Mother A Plaque of Wood You made a plaque of wood at VBS, A picture of Jesus, a red heart, your picture I saw Were carefully and neatly glued in place; The message told of 'Jesus loves me! this I know.'  Hung on my bedroom wall all these years, I think of you whenever I look upon it; I whisper a prayer that no matter where you are You'd know God's love is blessed and sweet. Amidst the busyness of life, acknowledge Him always, And He'd answer when upon Him you call; For He deeply loves you just like it said On the plaque of wood hanging on the wall. --Mother Modes of Transportation Your very first mode of transportation-- A little contraption shown in this picture  As you can see, it didn't have pedals, But it gave you hours of riding pleasure. Your next mode of transportation-- A simple little tricycle, shiny and red; You rode it all over the place, And parked it at night by your bed. Next came a training bike, shiny and gray, Like your red tricycle you rode it everywhere; Teaching you to ride minus the training wheels Was a task requiring patience and prayer. Then we got brave, and I got you a skateboard, You were only five but you were bent on learning; So, on an incline sidewalk, I let you go for short distances Until you got the knack of balancing. At nine you got an RM80 Suzuki dirt bike, This was your stepdad's idea of what 'fun' should be; Its loud roaring noise as you sped thru the sand dunes in Yuma, Brought esctasy to you, but scared the daylights out of me. Then you suddenly got big and wanted to learn How to drive a vehicle with a stick shift; As with the other modes of transportation above, I taught you and, wow, oh wow, your driving was swift!  I was at the DMV waiting for you to take a road test, I saw you drive by--the instructor giving you directions; Tears stung my eyes as I reminisced teaching you To 'drive' simplier modes of transportation. My Son A boy is a mischievous, magical creature, An angel with mud on his face. A daredevil climber of trees and of rafters, Who loves any game, any place. Just like my son to leave his toys in the way. You were six months old and full of fun, With a blink of my eye, you were suddenly one. There were so many things we were going to do, But I turned my head and you turned two. At two you were very dependent on me, But independence took over when you turned three. Your third birthday, another year I tried to ignore, But when I lit the candles, there weren't three but four. Four was the year that you really strived, Why, look at you now, you're already five. Now you are ready for books and for rules.   This is the year that you go to school. The big day came, you were anxious to go, We walked to the bus, going oh, so slow. As you climbed aboard and waved good-bye, I felt a lump in my throat and tears stung my eyes. Time goes so fast, It's hard to believe that just yesterday you were home with me. And tomorrow when the bus brings you home and you jump to the ground, You'll be wearing your cap and graduation gown. So I'm holding to these moments as hard as I can, Because the next time I look, I'll be seeing a man. And just remember, no matter how old you get or how far away, you will always be my son. --Robert Fulghum Dressed up in blue cap and gown, Here's your graduation picture: 
May God grant you It is not what he has... which directly expresses the worth of a man, but what he is. --Henri Frederic Amiel With pride for all you've been, With joy for all you are, With love...for always! Congratulations on your Graduation.... --Mom 'IF' If you can stay the course when life's temptations Are bidding you to heed their beck and call, IF you can dream and have high expectations, Yet not mind working hard to win it all. IF you can put your heart into attaining The goals you seek and do your best each day, Yet, without hesitating or complaining, Help others gladly as you go your way. IF you can live the Golden Rule with others, And always do the very best you can, You'll find that every man becomes your brother And, most important, you will be a man! The world is filled With so many wonderful things-- Bright new paths to follow, Exciting goals to pursue-- Good luck and warmest wishes For the years ahead of you! Happy Graduation! --from Uncle Rich and Auntie Ruth Tenderly He Watches Tenderly He watches over you Every step, every mile of the way; Like a mother watching over her baby, He is near you every hour of the day. When you're weak, when you're strong, When you're right, when you're wrong, In your joy and your pain, When you lose and when you gain. Tenderly He watches over you Every step, ever mile of the way. Long before time began You were part of His plan; Let no fear cloud your brow, He will not forsake you now. Tenderly He watches over you Every step, every mile of the way. Jesus Loves Me! Jesus loves me! this I know, For the Bible tells me so; Little ones to Him belong, They are weak but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so. --Anna B. Warner 
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