Deejo Has a Birthday!

Well, my little daredevil's birthday is today.  OK, so he's not so little any more; dare I say he is a thirty-something?  With a wife - and a couple of kids.  But he IS still my daredevil.  I am sure he has lost count of the times I threatened to lock him in a closet and not let him out until his next birthday - often on the afternoon of his birthday!  I think he was 13 then.

At that age he was a competitive gymnast - but he couldn't jump off a kitchen stool without getting his feet tangled in it, landing on his face ... and ending up in the ER.  The gymnastic competitions didn't always go so smoothly either.  He managed to survive some pretty fantastic spills...and earned some high ribbons.

Then there was the time he took a jump on his dirt bike at the impromptu dirt hills at a park being constructed behind our house.  We insisted the boys never go alone to those hills, just in case someone got hurt, they had to go together.  So one day, Bill and I had just gotten home from work when little brother comes screeching up the driveway hollering, "He's dead.  He's dead!"  Not what you want to hear at the end of your day.  Turns out Deejo had landed wrong on a front wheel, come down face first and managed to knock himself out, but fortunately they had listened and the messenger found his way home.  Another trip to the ER.

At one of his own birthday parties, he was showing off more bicycle skills.  You guessed it.  He caught the  jump a little wrong and catapulted himself into the front of the neighbor's car (okay, it was parked).  By this time, the family was used to his 'stunts', and just said, "He'll live."  No ER this time.

Let's see, we had an exacto knife through a finger one time.  When this one particular friend of his was visiting, you KNEW there was going to be excitement.  Ask me why I ever allowed this friend within the confines of our home.  There were scraped up bellies from climbing trees that were off limits, and I can guarantee there are a lot of things I have no knowledge of - yet.

It didn't end when he went to the Marines.  I'm pretty sure his DI could tell you some hair raisers!  Imagine my fear when he came in one day and said he had a  job working steel:  you know, climbing all over steel rafters hundreds of feet in the air - in the winter, when they are icy!  Good thing they wear harnesses, 'cause I'm pretty sure he tried his out.

Now he has added motors to his bikes and dirt races.  (And he tells me my horses are too dangerous!?)  When it comes right down to it, I am amazed he has gotten this OLD, and he was soooo cute when he was little!  Deejo, we all love you, even though you caused me my share of heart stoppages.

Love,
Mom