The Dudester

Well, it has been quiet awhile since I broached the subject of Dudely. Surrounded by a cacophony of scene stealing females he is often left by the wayside.

Not in my mind though.

Graham is having an interesting spring - both mentally and physically. Frankly, right now, his physical ailments seem to be dominating. Among a litany of wonderful traits, Lynley, unfortunately bestowed upon Graham two not so good little genetic hand me downs. The first is asthma. The second only complicates that little gift as "el dudo uno" also has significant allergies to oak. That is a significant double whammy that is further compounded by the fact that North Texas is currently under about an inch of oak tree pollen right now. In fact, if you looked down from the moon at North Texas I am quite sure you would see nothing more than a yellowish green smudge.

Graham's condition right now is somewhat dangerous. We have been ordered to get as much albuterol in him as we can possibly fit into a day. Right now, that is somewhere between about 4 and 5 breathing treatments. He is also on a slew of medications to alleviate the symptoms and to try and control the condition. At times, I must be honest and say that I have been concerned for his welfare. Rushing him to the hospital has crossed my mind on several occasions. Thankfully though, the moment I am just about ready to throw him into the car or call 911 he seems to finally catch his breath and the coughing fits temporarily fade away. I don't really have much more to say on the subject. I just feel helpless. It is hard to watch when you know there is nothing you can do to make it better. We just keep medicating him and hoping for the best. Spring will eventually end, right?

On the mental side, Graham has really come out of his shell this year. While I still find him completely and utterly compassionate, he is finally really showing signs of growing into his little boydom. He is far more social and, for better or worse, is beginning to get into trouble. He is doing boy things - like talking to his friends about inappropriate things and rough housing. He is going through an adjustment phase. Learning his boundaries and making new friends. All in all, I am pretty happy with it. It has been a long time in coming and I am happy to see him finally coming out of his shell.

I full expect him to continue to get into trouble. That is what this period is all about - learning what you can get away with. This is where my son, for better or worse (again), got many of his traits from his Dad. He is going to push the limits on fun and laughter. He is going to do stupid things and say even "stupid-er" things. It is okay though. It is all about being a growing Dungan boy.

Ah, and his grades? Well, Graham doesn't get grades on a typical scale yet. However, I can tell you he has greatly improved this year. No doubt - thanks to Mrs. Lewis. I have been blown away by his growth. On a scale of 1 to 10 he is at about a 9 academically and getting smarter every day. And yes, he has discovered math, his daddy's favorite subject. And, yes again, he is a whiz.

All in all, I am deeply proud of my Dudely.

I just need to find him some asthma relief.

I will have to add that to my purpose.