Proud Mommy

I recently ranted about kindergarten stealing my son and making him grow up. Apparently I may be having a slight change of heart. This weekend the Boy reminded me why his growing up isn't necessarily a bad thing. My parents used to tell me that one day I would be punished with a child just like me. I am finding it isn't as much of a punishment as they would have hoped.
The Boy is starting to really grow in to his personality and it is an amazing thing to watch. Our parenting philosophy has been to expose the Boy to as many cultures and lifestyles as possible and raise him to be an open minded person. So far we have surpassed our expectations.
The Boy is growing into his opinions and wears the hat of an environmental warrior, champion for gay rights and political dynamo.
There is something magical about the Boy. I saw that knowing full well that it sounds like parental bragging but he really does have this inner glow. People want to talk to him and be his friend. This is a skill that he uses only for good. When the kids on the playground at school use a derogatory term for a homosexual he scolds them. Tells them that it is a disrespectful term and that he can not be friends with people that use those terms. So far 100% of the time the offending kid has apologized and stopped using that term. They aren't calling the Boy names just using things like the phrase "that's so gay."
As a environmental warrior and animal rights activist he is finding his footing there as well. He recently announced his desire to only wear vegan footwear. He doesn't feel it is right for animals to die just to make his shoes. When we became vegetarians we let him switch on his own and he continued to eat meat a couple of times a month but has now decided that he doesn't want to eat meat at all anymore.
It makes me proud of the Boy to know that he is willing to have his own opinions and stand up for them. I am looking forward to seeing what the next chapter brings.