Just me and G

Circumstances this past weekend made it so that for a couple of days it was just me and the G man. I would say that the two of us had some great quality time together but really any time with Gabe is quality time. Seriously. My twelve year old son is probably one of the most positive and upbeat people I know. He is generally always happy. Even when he takes off for a 15 mile bike ride with the scouts only to discover a mile in that he has a flat tire. A flat tire that went beyond the basic repairs. For hours he pedaled twice as hard with half the progress. He came home a little discouraged with shaky legs but not beaten down-ready to go again. I would have cried. Ask him how his day was, his killer soccer practice went, or the outcome of a service project for someone's Eagle project and the answer is always the same; "Great!" Or I get this response a lot: "That was so much fun!" Not only is Gabe happy and positive but he is genuinely NICE. All the time. He thinks of others. He looks out for others. He hates it when anyone is sad. His prayers are filled with requests for others. I attended parent/teacher conferences the other night. Of the 3 teachers that I talked to that night, each mentioned something about Gabe needing to tone down the friendly chatter. I pursed my lips and tried to look a little concerned but inside I was thinking, "good for you, buddy. Be their friend. Chat."
Saturday morning Gabe decided that he wanted to make pancakes for the two of us. He was determined to get the 'flip' down. Even after this one got stuck to the wall.