The best block builder on the block...

Blake’s sweet teacher gives the kids an award. Blake came home with the “Best block creations ever built in the history of preschool award.” How cute is that? She told me at a luncheon that it really is true. She has been teaching for years and has never seen a child use ALL the blocks. She said he builds cities and creations for the other children to play with their toys on his creations! What is funny, is that at home, Brantley builds lego stuff all the time, but Blake – not so much. I wonder if he doesn’t like to build with his brother looking over his shoulder, but in his own classroom environment, he likes to do it.

So, like the sucker I am, when I was at the store, I bought a set of the good old fashioned brown wood blocks – no color – no nonsense – just 50 assorted shapes and sizes. I brought them home and gave them to Blake – wanting to see what all the fuss was about. AND, Seriously, the kid can build. He snuck off to a tile corner of the floor, and the next thing I knew, we had a “castle”, which actually looked like a castle. He even enlisted Brantley and they tore down the castle and constructed a dog house. In our fast-paced world of video games and tv, it was delightful to see creativity come forth out of simple blocks.

Blake also loves to water paint. What I find so amusing about it all, is that Blake is more “all boy” than all the other boys combined. He loves sports and wrestling, monster trucks and anything outdoors. But then he is my most romantic of all the boys. He likes to see what I am going to wear and is the first to notice a haircut or what perfume I am wearing. He loves me “all the way to heaven and back” and kisses me soundly on the lips – often and without warning. He is a deep thinker – and as the thought hits his mind, it is going to spew forth from his lips. A multi-layered little doodle is Blake.

The twin thing is interesting – because they are each so uniquely themselves, but Blake & Brantley also fit together in a way that is different than their fit to their other brothers. But, back to Blake. To know Blake, to really know Blake, is to love Blake, because once he feels loved by you, he is a loyal and true friend. He has grown so over the past year and he reminds me of a young colt who is all legs – handsome and beautiful and not quite sure what to do about it all. I love you too, Blake, all the way to heaven and back.