That’s My Boy
This is a big year for Isaac. In less than one week, he will start middle school. He’ll tell you that he’s excited and a little bit nervous. If you ask me, I’m excited and shocked at how quickly we have reached this milestone. It seems like weeks ago that we were welcoming Isaac home from the hospital. I can still hear his sister, Hannah, saying, “It’s Baby Isaac!” in her high-pitched toddler voice as we introduced her to her new baby brother. It seems like several days ago that we were taking Isaac to preschool for the first time with his friends Julia and Grace. I can still see Isaac dressed up like a farmer for Halloween one year with his big smile and straw hat. It seems like yesterday that we were sending Isaac off to school on the bus for his first day of kindergarten. I can still remember his excitement as he finally got to ride the bus with Hannah and all the other kids.
Isaac is a special kid. He’s funny – in fact, I think he’s inherited the “Stolpe” sense of humor that came down from his Great Grandpa (Far-Far) Stolpe. He’s smart – more so than I think he realizes at times. He’s musically talented beyond his years. He’s kind. He’s compassionate. And he has an amazing faith.
As I look ahead, I’m realizing that my time of influence is narrowing. I want to make the most of the time I have with my kids before they head off into the real world which will be here before I know it. Some of this involves being more intentional with our day-to-day conversations. And it also means being more intentional when it comes to planning memorable things like vacations and other family outings. And for me, it means stopping more often to just enjoy my kids. I love to watch them. I love to be with them. And I am excited to see them growing up. I just wish it didn’t happen so quickly!
How are your being intentional in your parenting? What has surprised you the most about parenting?
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About
You might be wondering where the “Stretched” thing comes from. For starters, when I was in high school at Rancocas Valley Regional High School, I was short – 5’6″ to start my junior year. Since then, I’ve grown to almost 6’6″. Many of my friends started calling me Stretch.
On a more recent basis, I often feel “stretched” by all the things going on around me – career, marriage, parenting, church, running, reading, friendships, extended family, relationship with God, etc. (in no particular order). My hope is that this blog will provide an opportunity to express some of my “stretch marks” and to possibly hear your thoughts as well. 
So here is a bit more about me: I’m a Christ-follower, husband, dad, son, uncle, engineer, runner, chicken farmer, gardener, saxophone player, operations manager, adventurer, and the list goes on…. I’m extremely blessed to have the best wife in the whole world. We met at Grove City College. We were engaged on top of the Eiffel Tower. We got married in Greensburg, PA. Now, we live in Schwenksville, PA with our two incredible kids, and our black lab.
I love this post. Beyond great.
Thanks, Michael. As you can see, I’m thankful for my boy!
Oh My God, Where does the Time Go! LOL!
I have a 5 year old little girl and she just started Kinder. Her teacher says she’s the only one in class that knows all the letters and their sounds. And she got a sticker yesterday for using “big” words. After reading to the class, my little girl said, wow…that bear was impresive. Everyone laughs and the teacher asked her what that means. She says, oh you know, when you are like stund at something cool.
Can we make time Stop! Please! hahahah…
Great post Jon.
Thanks, Arny! Time goes by so quickly. I want to make the most of the time with my kids. Enjoy kindergarten!
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