The Pinds go to Bible school

Parenting win: When you are on your way home from VBS (vacation Bible school) and your son says, "Mommy, when I get big, I'm going to wear a blue shirt with a whistle just like Daddy, and yell at all the kids to settle down and get in the line." That's when you know that you have done your job, because your son doesn't want to be a superhero or an astronaut; he wants to be just like his idol, his father. And if you have done your job as a mother, you have given him a father that you would be proud for him to grow up like.

Then your husband says, "So does that mean he wants to be a gym teacher when he grows up?", and you just smack your face with your hand at his thickheadedness and reconsider that thought you just had about giving your son a good role model.

Now, the backstory to this little anecdote: this was my first year involved in VBS since I was a spry young thing of 18 (for those of you counting, yes, that was almost 10 years ago -- yikes!). Max had never been involved except to participate years ago as a child. This year I signed us both up and then told him what I did, hoping he would be thrilled. I got the "I guess if you want me to" eye roll and sigh, but upon learning he would get to play games all evening with his two besties, he became OK with it.

Our uniforms for the week were our bright blue VBS shirts, and for Max that included a whistle for getting the kids' attention during recreation time. All the kids under age 5 were fascinated with his whistle, but none more than my boy. He tried to steal it and blow it every chance he got.

Part of our tradition for the ride home that week was asking Cooper what he learned or talked about that night. Every night I got the same answer: "We talked about Jesus, I colored, I played," until one night he told me, "Mommy I'm not scared of anything because Jesus is in my heart; he will protect me. And the monsters can't get me because my daddy has lots of guns and he will shoot them. And when I get big, I'm going to wear a blue shirt with a whistle just like Daddy and yell at all the kids to settle down and get in the line."

Of course I went from, "Awww, how adorable, he loves Jesus," to dying laughing from the monsters and guns line, to "Awww" again from the "I want to be just like my daddy" line. I am such a sucker for those big blue eyes, and then when he says adorable stuff like that I am a goner. Needless to say, he got an extra story from Daddy that night and lots of cuddles and kisses before bed.

Seeing my son want to grow up like his father makes my heart smile as I think to myself, 'There are so many worse things he could be.'

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Kristen Pind, a native of small-town Gower, Mo., came to Southeast Missouri State University with big dreams of being the next Katie Couric or Diane Sawyer. She never thought that by age 25, she'd be married with a baby and living in Cape Girardeau. Keep up with Kristen's adventures as a first-time mom -- one who's still a girl trying to figure out how her own life fits together. Turns out, she's living a dream she never knew she had, and loving every minute of it. Kristen invites moms of all types to find her "Baby Steps" page on Facebook.