TOF - Boys and MY boy

When I saw the theme for this week's challenge at The Octopode Factory - Boys Will Be Boys - I knew right away which image I wanted to create with.  When my son Trev was a little boy, he had a small stuffed Paddington bear that he called "Cutie".  Cutie was like his security blanket, and he wore out in spots but he remained beloved and mostly intact.  When Trev left for California last week, I spent about 5 hours cleaning his room (boys - UGH!), and was pleasantly surprised to find Cutie tucked away in a safe place in his closet.  My big boy has held on to Cutie all these years because he cherishes his childhood memories, and that makes me very happy.  I so thoroughly enjoyed having young children, and I've always enjoyed every minute of being a mom.  It's admittedly a different world when they are teenagers and growing into adults, but it's just as fulfilling and it's actually rewarding to see all your hard work paying off.  Because let's face it, parenting is hard work!  But it's the most rewarding job I have ever done in my life and I am so thankful for the chance to be their mom.

OK so here's the goods!  LOL

I colored Paddington with Prismacolor pencils and mineral spirits.  I printed out the sentiment with a "Kids First Handwriting" font, then boxed around the words with a black pen.  Cardstock, DP, and ribbon are from Stampin' Up!  Button is from my stash.

Peace.