Jalil

Jalil and I were coming/going from somewhere and he said to me that he was excited about 7th grade. I smiled and asked why and he said he didn’t know, he just was. These are the kind of hints I’ve learned to look for in the makings of his mind. This lets me know that he realizes that he will be ‘alone’ for the next couple of years and there will be no Okoye or Okoye’s friends around. Even though they were older and kept in separate area’s of the school, I think there was a comfort, for him AND me, that they were close by.

So I said that’s good (that he was excited) and when did he want to start shopping for school clothes and get a summer read for him. The best thing we’ve learned in handling things new or out of his routine is the EARLIEST preparation is best.

He is a very deep sensitive loving little boy. I swear, the sun sets in his booty and rises in his smile. He has a smile that when he gives it, it is so warm and huggable that I want to wrap myself up in it. Carry it with me always.












I love the smile he has in this picture going one on one with his dad.



The boy wakes up shooting hoops…practices his jump shot all freaking day and works on his pivot stance like he’s playing for the Laker’s and is waiting on his paycheck. And yes, there is nothing wrong with the picture…he IS that tall. And he is only 12. One time I was outside with him shooting some hoops and I was PLAYING like I had game and he playing like he was swatting at a pesky fly, he just palmed the ball and held it over his head. ‘Get the ball, mom!’ I was thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis close to punching him in his stomach. That’s my baby…gotta love him.

When you have more than one kid, you know what I mean when I say one kid is totally different than the other. Ying and yang have nothing on these two. I love them both with a passion and a fierceness that I had no idea I had in me. I love them both differently but I love them to the point that it can consumes me. But…they also love me differently. The love I get from Jalil is soft. Comfortable. Easy.

Just talked to him…in my many daily check ins, he told me he was cleaning his room…wow. I said why are you cleaning your room. He said because he decided he was going to clean his room on Tuesdays instead of Monday’s…I say REEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLY because this is news to me…I asked when did he start this new rule and said ‘about 5 minutes ago…..’