“You don’t raise heroes, you raise sons. And if you treat them like sons, they’ll turn out to be heroes, even if it’s just in your own eyes.”
~Walter M. Schirra, Sr
I would like to introduce you to my son Max. Though I have the next four weeks of posts all planned out, it was important he go first.
He has had to wait for pretty much everything since the day he was born.
Max is our second child. When he was born, our doctor revealed (rather breathlessly) that he was a miracle baby like none she’d ever seen. Because Daisy had gone through such a difficult (and dangerous) delivery with Mia, Max was a scheduled Cesarian. Turns out, Max had become entirely detached from the placenta. Our doctor explained that if Daisy’s water had broken, the odds of us having lost her, the baby, or both were horribly significant.
Max was a beefcake. He looked like his sister if she were inflated with an air pump. She, the tiniest little waif of a thing. He, big and grinning from day one. Max had quite the boom for a baby; it was as though being second in line had thickened his blood with a determination to never be forgotten, and a day did not pass without him demanding his place.
Our daughter spoiled us on the ease of parenting, sleeping through the night at only a handful of weeks and being altogether alert and amiable. Max screamed at a pitch that left no doubt about his demand for equality. Daisy and I used to rock him in his car seat until he started to snore, which seemed to happen mere seconds before our arms were about to melt from their sockets.
Every day when we picked him up from daycare we would ask if he was fussy. “No,” his caregivers would shake their heads in a manner that left us certain they were unceasingly surprised by the suggestion. “He was as cuddly as could be, just like always.”
It wasn’t that we weren’t aware of the cuddly side of our boy, it was just that he seemed to fully bloom only in the absence of his sister, and seeing how our family is as thickly threaded as the strands of a rope, that was a rare instance indeed.
That first year was long, difficult, and led directly to the realization that time was fleeting and the first five years with our children would fade faster than the daylight at year’s end. We left our jobs, opened our school, and gave our son the attention he’d been asking for since before he was born.
Max is now a few rungs shy of five years old, his birthday a blip on our horizon. He is in every way more than I could have ever dared to hope for in a son: strong and sensitive, easy going and determined, playful and serious, unbelievably kind… and just a little bit rascally.
Max is amazing; the most well mannered child I’ve ever known. His “thank you” is as natural as his breath and his breath is often bursting from unbridled laughter. Max is not his real name, just a moniker I made up in my very first post seven months ago and have not ever changed. His real name sings with the character of a sonnet.
He is my little buddy and one of my three best friends in the whole wide world. I look forward to sharing him with you.
This Thursday, Max will have his first guest post on Writer Dad. If there are any questions you’d like him to answer, please drop them in the comments and I’ll pick a handful to ask him.
About Sean Platt
Sean, thanks for sharing this with us. Max is lovely, from his picture and from your description. I can tell you are very proud of him! I have no questions, just a heartfelt wish that he grab every minute of life and enjoy it to the fullest, every day of his life!
Sean, thanks for sharing this with us. Max is lovely, from his picture and from your description. I can tell you are very proud of him! I have no questions, just a heartfelt wish that he grab every minute of life and enjoy it to the fullest, every day of his life!
Hi Sean,
I can tell very much just how deeply you love this little guy in your life! Children have a way of capturing our hearts. Max does this beautifully!
And…the years, they are fleeting. Savor all the moments you have together…
Looking forward to what is to come here…
Hi Sean,
I can tell very much just how deeply you love this little guy in your life! Children have a way of capturing our hearts. Max does this beautifully!
And…the years, they are fleeting. Savor all the moments you have together…
Looking forward to what is to come here…
Max is sooooo cute! I’m looking forward to his post! : )
Max is sooooo cute! I’m looking forward to his post! : )
Love the photo, love your description of him, and can’t wait to read his post!
Love the photo, love your description of him, and can’t wait to read his post!
Here’s a question for wee Max: What’s your absolute favourite thing you do with your Dad when it’s just the two of you having special time?
I love being in love with my kids – and I love reading about other people being crazy in love with theirs! Mine’s are in a difficult phase right now (one tweenager, one teenager) , so I focus even more on being lucky enough to be their mum.
Here’s a question for wee Max: What’s your absolute favourite thing you do with your Dad when it’s just the two of you having special time?
I love being in love with my kids – and I love reading about other people being crazy in love with theirs! Mine’s are in a difficult phase right now (one tweenager, one teenager) , so I focus even more on being lucky enough to be their mum.
How fantastic! I can’t wait to read his post.
How fantastic! I can’t wait to read his post.
Daphne: Oh, he does. With all ten of his tiny fingers, and sometimes all of his toes. I don’t know if I know another person who wakes up as happy for his day to start, each and every morning, like Max.
Lance: I can’t imagine doing it any other way. Max has a way of making me warm even when I am otherwise chilled. He’s a terrific companion who makes me desperately want for time to slow.
Shanel: I can’t argue with you there. The kid is almost too adorable. The only problems we have is when he knows it. I’m looking forward to it too. I hope some good questions come in.
Emily: Hmmm….. maybe you won’t be reading it at all. : > )
Janice: YAY, a question! He will like to answer that question.
Kool Aid: I can’t wait to lay it down. I need a few more questions. Otherwise, I’m going to have to let him tell a story and that could keep us here a long, long time. His stories tend to ramble a bit.
Daphne: Oh, he does. With all ten of his tiny fingers, and sometimes all of his toes. I don’t know if I know another person who wakes up as happy for his day to start, each and every morning, like Max.
Lance: I can’t imagine doing it any other way. Max has a way of making me warm even when I am otherwise chilled. He’s a terrific companion who makes me desperately want for time to slow.
Shanel: I can’t argue with you there. The kid is almost too adorable. The only problems we have is when he knows it. I’m looking forward to it too. I hope some good questions come in.
Emily: Hmmm….. maybe you won’t be reading it at all. : > )
Janice: YAY, a question! He will like to answer that question.
Kool Aid: I can’t wait to lay it down. I need a few more questions. Otherwise, I’m going to have to let him tell a story and that could keep us here a long, long time. His stories tend to ramble a bit.
Daphne: Oh, he does. With all ten of his tiny fingers, and sometimes all of his toes. I don’t know if I know another person who wakes up as happy for his day to start, each and every morning, like Max.
Lance: I can’t imagine doing it any other way. Max has a way of making me warm even when I am otherwise chilled. He’s a terrific companion who makes me desperately want for time to slow.
Shanel: I can’t argue with you there. The kid is almost too adorable. The only problems we have is when he knows it. I’m looking forward to it too. I hope some good questions come in.
Emily: Hmmm….. maybe you won’t be reading it at all. : > )
Janice: YAY, a question! He will like to answer that question.
Kool Aid: I can’t wait to lay it down. I need a few more questions. Otherwise, I’m going to have to let him tell a story and that could keep us here a long, long time. His stories tend to ramble a bit.
Writer Dad–
This was a stunning post–thank you for bringing ‘Max’ to life for us! I can’t wait to read his post, either. Here’s a question for him.
I’m a middle child too. I found that I loved being outside with the frogs and the creeks and the crawdads and the trees and the…well it was an endless list of friends. I loved my sisters and brother, of course, but I found that my nature playmates always treated me like I was the only one. Have you ever felt like that, Max?
We are in love with Max, too, of course…
Oooh… I often aim for stunning. I’m glad I hit the mark. Thanks for giving Max a question to answer. He will have fun with it. Nice to meet you, Beth.
Writer Dad–
This was a stunning post–thank you for bringing ‘Max’ to life for us! I can’t wait to read his post, either. Here’s a question for him.
I’m a middle child too. I found that I loved being outside with the frogs and the creeks and the crawdads and the trees and the…well it was an endless list of friends. I loved my sisters and brother, of course, but I found that my nature playmates always treated me like I was the only one. Have you ever felt like that, Max?
We are in love with Max, too, of course…
Oooh… I often aim for stunning. I’m glad I hit the mark. Thanks for giving Max a question to answer. He will have fun with it. Nice to meet you, Beth.
Max,
My only question to you is, what is the one thing that you love the most about your dad? We all adore him for reasons we hold within ourselves, but it would be a joy to our ears to hear from the one who is always with him, what makes him so great. We look forward to hearing your voice trumpet over the web on Thursday so, blow loud Max and play the melody you have inside you.
Max,
My only question to you is, what is the one thing that you love the most about your dad? We all adore him for reasons we hold within ourselves, but it would be a joy to our ears to hear from the one who is always with him, what makes him so great. We look forward to hearing your voice trumpet over the web on Thursday so, blow loud Max and play the melody you have inside you.
I love the picture of Max just sitting there like he is in heaven–like there is no greater joy for him than to be hangin’ out with the man. So relaxed.
It doesn’t surprise me that his real name sounds like a sonnet because your writing is so poetic. I’ve often wished I would have given my son a pseudonym, but at the beginning I thought my blog would only be read by family.
Question for Max: If you could have a perfect day at school, what would it be like?
I love the picture of Max just sitting there like he is in heaven–like there is no greater joy for him than to be hangin’ out with the man. So relaxed.
It doesn’t surprise me that his real name sounds like a sonnet because your writing is so poetic. I’ve often wished I would have given my son a pseudonym, but at the beginning I thought my blog would only be read by family.
Question for Max: If you could have a perfect day at school, what would it be like?
Sean,
Your words let Max come into all our hearts — from such an amazing birth to his laughter to his little bit of the rascal gene. Please ask Max to answer any of these he wants: If he could be an animal, what kind would he be and why? What does he understand of writing, blogging, and the Blogopolis? Favorite food? Best story he likes his mom or dad to read to him? Best memory of family fun? Scariest moment? What does he think about writing a post for Writer Dad?
Sean,
Your words let Max come into all our hearts — from such an amazing birth to his laughter to his little bit of the rascal gene. Please ask Max to answer any of these he wants: If he could be an animal, what kind would he be and why? What does he understand of writing, blogging, and the Blogopolis? Favorite food? Best story he likes his mom or dad to read to him? Best memory of family fun? Scariest moment? What does he think about writing a post for Writer Dad?
Sal: Great question, Sal, if you’re trying to make me blush (which you probably are). I’ll make sure yours makes the list.
Randi: I cannot imagine him wearing any other name. It took Cindy and I all of five minutes to name each of our children. Their names are like music, even in those moments when it’s kind of like a rock song!
Lori: LOL! You’ve got enough for a full interview there. That’s great, I was starting to worry that I wouldn’t have enough to go on and the two of us would ramble. I love your questions. It looks like I might actually have a final selection! Thanks, Lori.
Sal: Great question, Sal, if you’re trying to make me blush (which you probably are). I’ll make sure yours makes the list.
Randi: I cannot imagine him wearing any other name. It took Cindy and I all of five minutes to name each of our children. Their names are like music, even in those moments when it’s kind of like a rock song!
Lori: LOL! You’ve got enough for a full interview there. That’s great, I was starting to worry that I wouldn’t have enough to go on and the two of us would ramble. I love your questions. It looks like I might actually have a final selection! Thanks, Lori.
Max is guest posting?? AWESOME. Ok, here goes,
Dear Max,
You rock. What do you love to do the most?
Sincerely, Hayden
Max is guest posting?? AWESOME. Ok, here goes,
Dear Max,
You rock. What do you love to do the most?
Sincerely, Hayden
Sean — You’re welcome. You do know I have a journalism degree, yes (ancient though it be)? Questions are easy! I look forward to Max’s post.
Sean — You’re welcome. You do know I have a journalism degree, yes (ancient though it be)? Questions are easy! I look forward to Max’s post.
Hayden: HA! I knew you’d be here with a question. Thanks, Hayden. I’ll sit him on my lap and read him your question.
Lori: No, I didn’t! You get awesomer and awesomer. Dave’s got competition. I think a black belt journalist might be cooler than a drawing journalist. I’m just saying.
Hayden: HA! I knew you’d be here with a question. Thanks, Hayden. I’ll sit him on my lap and read him your question.
Lori: No, I didn’t! You get awesomer and awesomer. Dave’s got competition. I think a black belt journalist might be cooler than a drawing journalist. I’m just saying.
Hi Sean! It will be great fun to read “Max’s” post. As his grandmother, I always enjoy making the comparisons between him and you at the same age. Max is very clever at getting away with things by just staying within the margins by a hair. At dinner last week he did such a great job of blurting out a litany of forbidden words by recounting it as a story of what some bad little boy at school had said. He knew that he was on thin ice but was enjoying the challenge immensely.You would have made it your own with no apologies and faced the shitstorm because it was worth it! I love you both, you wascally wabbits! mom
Hi Sean! It will be great fun to read “Max’s” post. As his grandmother, I always enjoy making the comparisons between him and you at the same age. Max is very clever at getting away with things by just staying within the margins by a hair. At dinner last week he did such a great job of blurting out a litany of forbidden words by recounting it as a story of what some bad little boy at school had said. He knew that he was on thin ice but was enjoying the challenge immensely.You would have made it your own with no apologies and faced the shitstorm because it was worth it! I love you both, you wascally wabbits! mom
Wow…..it’s amazing. He’s so life-like!
Wow…..it’s amazing. He’s so life-like!
Good heavens WD! Peas. In. A. Pod. You even wear the same clothes!
Hey there from England Max.
I have a question to you from my son Daniel, who is 6. He wants to know what is your favourite TV show at the moment and do you have a pair of pyjamas with the chacters on the front (seriously, that’s his question!)
Good heavens WD! Peas. In. A. Pod. You even wear the same clothes!
Hey there from England Max.
I have a question to you from my son Daniel, who is 6. He wants to know what is your favourite TV show at the moment and do you have a pair of pyjamas with the chacters on the front (seriously, that’s his question!)
Question for Max:
Do you like to save up your money to buy something special, or do you like to spend it as soon as you get it?
Question for Max:
Do you like to save up your money to buy something special, or do you like to spend it as soon as you get it?
Mom: I’ll share it with you on Wednesday before it posts. Yes, Max and I are a lot alike, but he is, I believe, a bit nicer than I ever was at his age. He is, however every bit as much fun I’m sure!
Friar: You should smell his farts!
Tara: This, I’ve heard. He will like those questions, Tara! Thanks for asking.
GreenJello: Ooh, that’s a good one. He made a dollar for sweeping his grandpa’s floor last week. So far, he’s hanging onto it.
Mom: I’ll share it with you on Wednesday before it posts. Yes, Max and I are a lot alike, but he is, I believe, a bit nicer than I ever was at his age. He is, however every bit as much fun I’m sure!
Friar: You should smell his farts!
Tara: This, I’ve heard. He will like those questions, Tara! Thanks for asking.
GreenJello: Ooh, that’s a good one. He made a dollar for sweeping his grandpa’s floor last week. So far, he’s hanging onto it.
I begged you to let me see the post cold this morning just as the rest of the world. Without fail, my heart skipped a beat, I felt the SWHOOSH of the dip of the roller coaster and tears of joy that I have two men to love like I never knew I could love. You are doing it Sean. You are the best writer in “www” land and the crocodile tear splish splashed into my morning coffee just as it did for many others today I am sure. Bravo! What a fantastic gift you give to our family with your words and presence to back it up.
Always your wife and thank you for making me a mom to our Max.
I begged you to let me see the post cold this morning just as the rest of the world. Without fail, my heart skipped a beat, I felt the SWHOOSH of the dip of the roller coaster and tears of joy that I have two men to love like I never knew I could love. You are doing it Sean. You are the best writer in “www” land and the crocodile tear splish splashed into my morning coffee just as it did for many others today I am sure. Bravo! What a fantastic gift you give to our family with your words and presence to back it up.
Always your wife and thank you for making me a mom to our Max.
Question for Max: what do you want to be when you grow up?
(anyone asked this standard question yet?)
Question for Max: what do you want to be when you grow up?
(anyone asked this standard question yet?)
Cindy: I love you, sweetie. Thanks for making me the perfect set of children. They are truly amazing, just like their mommy.
Katy: Perfect question and nope, you are indeed the first. I bet a week’s worth of breakfast that he says he wants to be a garbage man, though. I keep hoping he’ll change his mind. I’m glad I have a dozen years or so. : > )
Cindy: I love you, sweetie. Thanks for making me the perfect set of children. They are truly amazing, just like their mommy.
Katy: Perfect question and nope, you are indeed the first. I bet a week’s worth of breakfast that he says he wants to be a garbage man, though. I keep hoping he’ll change his mind. I’m glad I have a dozen years or so. : > )
A question for Max: which of the four seasons do you like best? Why?
A question for Max: which of the four seasons do you like best? Why?
Vered: Oooh… that’s a good question! He’ll like that one. He’ll probably say summer because it’s his birthday.