And Another Year Makes SIX! Quinn's Newsletter

Dear Quinn,
Today is your day! Happy Birthday, My Love! The day you look forward to all year, waiting patiently for your turn to celebrate with friends, family, and fun! Yesterday afternoon, we celebrated your special day with old friends, new friends, cousins, and other family members. You wanted a Minecraft theme at your karate school, and you wanted the Minecraft TNT cake you found on the Internet with me. (Special thanks to Amanda for helping bake the cake for me so I could focus on decorating it!) Then we went to dinner just the five of us before sending you to bed with your annual "I Believe" reading (which you have helped me add things to throughout the year for the first time) and your last snuggles as a five-year-old. Then, this morning, we played with balloons in your bed, sang "Happy Birthday," ate donuts and kolaches, and packed your special birthday treats for your Kindergarten class before you headed to school. Then, this afternoon, BeeBee and Colby came by to say Happy Birthday before we headed to Chuck E. Cheese's for one more birthday dinner. I have lost count of how many times we have sung to you, how many times you've blown out a candle or more, and how many times you have gotten to make a wish, but I so enjoy you getting to be the center of attention that we allowed the celebrating to go on again and again!

You are such a special, sweet boy, Quinn, and I want to tell you so much about you. I wish I could bottle you up and freeze time. Every night I tuck you in, I have such a hard time walking away from you and I know I probably drive you nuts with the amount of kisses I keep giving you, but you humor me and allow it! I seriously cannot get enough of you: your cuddles, your questions, your curiosity, your insight, your wet kisses, your famous Quinn hugs, and your hilarious jokes and sayings.

Let me tell you more:

• Your voice... oh my goodness, so much to say about this. It's deep and raspy and probably lined with nodules, but it's sweet and has such a purposeful effort to it. You are working so hard on your R sounds and purposefully place your tongue correctly to get it right. We stopped seeing Ms. Laura last year, but your speech is still improving because of the awareness you have of making it better. You get a little sloppy with your S's, but you can easily correct it when we ask. You LOVE to force a laugh when you're feeling silly, and your voice tires easily after a long day. Much of the time, I worry you are straining it. It's top of mind for your upcoming well check.
• You are reading like a champ! Long, multi-syllabic words are no chore for you. You use context clues and picture cues so very well, and you can easily read through chapter books now. 
• You learned to snap this year.
• When we call your name, you look at us and shrug your shoulders as you say, "What?" It's kind of funny - like a reflex you can't control. The shoulder shrug. It makes me smile just thinking about it.
• You are king of proverbs... there isn't a saying you don't know! One man's trash is another man's treasure; cheaters never win; slow and steady wins the race; don't judge a book by its cover. You're hilarious with them, too. Usually each line is prefaced with, "You know what I always say." You are so very clever, insightful, and matter of fact about it. I wonder where you hear these things and how you know how to use this language so well. Seriously... it is remarkable.
• Kindergarten has started off so well. Minus the fact that you didn't know your "forever teacher" until the last day of the first week and that you haven't had outdoor recess more than twice in the first 4 weeks of school (it's way too hot apparently), you love school. You're pretty "social at the wrong times" according to your teacher, Ms. Ngene, but she is not concerned that you won't learn quickly when to listen and when to talk. You did get reprimanded for arm-wrestling in the middle of circle time the second week of school. We are working on remembering to obey class rules, but I have a feeling that your brain is way ahead of where she's teaching right now, and that can make for a long, boring day for a smart kid like you who is reading chapter books. You're going to have to force some strong self-control while listening to how to read the words "I" and "a" for a while... even though you can read words like "catastrophe" and "mountains" and "determined." 
• You've had a couple play dates with new friends. The Kindergarten play dates at the Fish Park we had this summer really helped. Graham from down the street is a new favorite, as is Landon (you call him Little Landon so we don't confuse him with Banner's best friend). 
• Your absolute best buddies are still your cousins Nami and Levi. 
• You and Banner are getting along so much better since starting school together. I love watching you two bond over school things - like wearing your spirit shirts, talking about what specials you had (you both have the same schedule this year, and you think that's pretty awesome), talking about when you saw each other in the hallways, walking home together. Ms. Kim has helped you two navigate your relationship, but by far the best thing for you two has been going to the same school again.
• You are officially done with swim lessons. We started Emler in February, and you have really grown in your confidence and abilities in the water. Your backstroke is stellar, and I love watching you pull yourself through the water with what looks like little effort. I'd love to see you continue your swimming, but you aren't interested, and since you are very safe and are a strong swimmer, we will save the money for all your other interests...
• Speaking of, you love karate classes, which are killing our bank account. You tried out piano over the summer, and while you and Banner were really good and learning nicely, the teacher was not a good fit for us at the rec center, so we backed off for a while. We need to find a better teacher who will come to the house perhaps. That might work better. You and Banner are also starting Cub Scouts this week, and that has you both super excited.
• You started Sunday School this month also. You're in a class with Levi and Luca, and your teacher is Ms Meghan, your same teacher from Anshai, so you are stoked about that. You like to see Ms. Morgan at Temple, also. 
• You thoroughly enjoyed Camp Gan Izzy this summer. You loved your field trips, going to the Texas Pool, and hanging with friends like Levi, Luca, Yehuda and the counselors were amazing. 
• You LOVE donuts for breakfast, Toddler Trail Mix after school, playing on my computer, Nintendo Switch, sleeping in our bed (which is very rare now, thank goodness!), jumping on the couch (which I cannot stand!), collecting Pokemon cards, color baths, swimming at Grandma's house, riding bikes (but with training wheels, even though we've practiced without and you CAN do it, you just don't trust yourself yet), Captain Underpants, Teen Titans Go, watching Bricks O'Brien play Super Mario Bros (Super Smash Bros??), snow cones, drawing Marshmellow face on anything and everything. 
• Your gift from Daddy and me for your birthday this year is a new full bed and new bedding you got to pick out. I think you were ready to get rid of the bunk bed over your head, and you wanted more space "like Banner's bed."
• We went on our first camp-out as a family in April. We had so much fun, and I'm super proud of all of you guys for trying something new.
• Speaking of trying new things, you love to try new foods for "points" on your Vivofit watch, but you pretty much decide you won't like a new food long before you put it in your mouth. 
• You love pineapple, but we determined you have a slight allergy to it. It makes your tongue sting and you say it feels weird, so we have backed off of it. 
• In the spring, you expressed some curiosity about your gender. You told me that some times you feel like a girl. We had some great conversations about this, and mostly what I gathered is that you want to be able to express yourself however you want without judgment from anyone. You want to be able to paint your nails or play with girls or play with dolls and not have anyone tell you that you're not allowed. But, I absolutely LOVED these conversations that centered around loving who you are and accepting yourself no matter what. It is so important to me that you know I love you and accept you just as you are - no matter what - and that there is nothing you can tell me or show me or share with me that will make my feelings for you change. You don't have to have an answer about who you are, just be you! 
• You still love to cook, and I love having you help me out in the kitchen! If there's a task I can assign to you, I enjoy passing it to you - to cut or chop or wash or peel. You are learning your way around the kitchen so well! You love getting your Raddish club packages each month, and you enjoy any opportunity to learn a new kitchen skill. We especially loved the cupcake decorating class we took on our cruise last December.
• You have two loose teeth on the bottom center of your mouth. It comes as NO surprise to me that you still haven't lost any teeth since you didn't have any until almost 13 months old. You celebrated your first birthday with zero teeth... so it's fitting that at 6 you have no gaps yet. (For reference, Banner had already lost two teeth by his sixth birthday, and the adult teeth had already grown in.) Yours aren't ready to come out any time soon, but it sure does excite you that they are loose and have been for a while.
• You are incredibly emotional and ahead of your time when it comes to understanding growing up. You had a very difficult time this year saying goodbye to Anshai. As the end of school approached in May, you were more and more nostalgic. It caused weariness when preparing for your Celebration Class songs you would be singing. The "Wherever I Go" lyrics made you cry, and you would tell me how they made you sad. That's understandable, given how poignant and perfect hey were for the ending of preschool and the start of Kindergarten: "Here we are now. Everything's about to change. We face tomorrow as we say goodbye to yesterday. A chapter ending, but the story's only just begun. A page is turning for everyone. So I'm moving on, letting go, holding on to tomorrow. I've always got the memories while I'm finding out who I'm gonna be. We might be apart, but I hope you always know you'll be with me wherever I go. So excited I can barely even catch my breath. We have each other to lean on for the road ahead. This happy ending is the start of all of our dreams, and I know your heart is with me."
• One of my favorite things about you is your optimism. You are the first one to look at the bright side of a situation and literally say, "See? Glass half full!" You are so incredibly helpful to those around you when you see someone upset or disappointed. You aren't always so forgiving of yourself, though, and when it comes to your own frustrations, you need reminding of the glass half-full logic. Your red hot face, tight fists, and clenched jaw show us clearly when you need some help calming down. You will "GRRRR" at your brothers and pout with your infamous cry with one eye closed tighter than the other. But, once we intervene, giving you some love and affection, along with some directives about how to calm down ("Blow me away with deep breaths" for instance), you are using your words to tell us what you need. You are certainly harder on yourself than on others, and you wear it loudly when you feel something is unfair. 

Quinn Redding, every year, I reminisce about your birth and remember those early hours and days of just snuggling in the hospital bed. You fit so perfectly by my side and in my arms. You still do. I love when we just sit together or lay together just cuddling up and enjoying a quiet moment. There are so many times when you fit the stereotypical role of the middle child - being ignored, quietly doing his own thing in the corner of the house. You are so easy going and mild mannered, usually, that your brothers often speak over you or demand more of our attention. In general, you are so self-sufficient and cooperative, that you don't require a lot of repetitious directives from us. We ask once, you comply. You're quietly building or creating something, and we don't even know where you are. But, that doesn't mean that we don't see you, My Love. You are so very special to me, and your sweet demeanor and disposition make me love you even more! Those gorgeous eyes, that golden hair, your pouty lips and dimpled chin, your thin but strong and mighty body- you are a pleasure to look at! But, everything on the inside is just pure gold! Your heart is so full of love, and mine is so full for being able to love you back!

Happy SIXTH Birthday, Quinnious!
I love you to QUINNFINITY and beyond!
Love,
Mommy

Last photo as a 5-year-old

It's Banner's Quarter-Birthday, so he wanted a candle, too!

After school photo!

BeeBee brought cupcakes

The cake that kept me decorating all morning long!
Well worth it to see your amazement when you came home
from Sunday school with it all prepared!

Three and a Half: Knox's Newsletter

Dear Knox,
I'm a day late in publicly wishing you a happy HALF birthday, but it's been on my mind for a while that your half-birthday was sneaking up on us as a new school year started! I have been dreading it because it means we're half-way done with you being three, and that just makes me sad. Although you are definitely a "THREEnager," you are also always my baby, and I want to keep you little as long as possible.

So, what have you been up to lately?

-You are quite opinionated and show your frustration like no other. Your angry face has become a fish face where you suck your cheeks into your teeth and grit down. You'll scream, "Look at my face!" and you look around trying to find the closest thing to hit or slap. You are stubborn, strong-willed, and defiant - so perfectly three.

-You would speak in baby talk all day if I let you.

-Saying you're sorry is still a really hard thing for you to do. But, with time and space, eventually you will fess up and apologize for your part of a mishap.

-You dropped your nap at the beginning of the summer, and your witching hours are between 3:00-5:00pm when you are quite crabby. This is usually when I allow some screen time to help you stay calm and relaxed for all of our sakes. You could watch YouTube Kids all day long if I let you. You know how to use the microphone to tell the iPhone or iPad what you want to watch, and you navigate your way through the app so well.

-You went to Camp Gan Izzy this summer for the first time and LOVED it. Ms. Terissa was your favorite counselor, and you made a few new friends.

-Since your last newsletter, you have officially stopped using any pacifiers (ended shortly after your birthday), and you haven't had a diaper on in I don't remember how many months! You have Quinn's bladder with the ability to hold your pee all night and hours into the morning... even when we ask you to go potty first thing, you won't and demand, "I don't need to go!"

-Your bedtime routine has gotten much shorter now. Many nights after bath time and reading or watching a show, you tell us that you're tired and ready to go to bed. We no longer use the glider at all - much to my disappointment and sadness. You like me to lay in your toddler bed with you for a few minutes and cuddle while the projector spins on your ceiling and we sing one to four songs (usually "Lullaby," "Twinkle," "Side by Side," or "Take Me Out to the Ballgame"), and then I say goodnight to you and slowly make my way to your doorway - when you ask me nearly nightly, "Mommy, can we go to Chuck E. Cheese tonight?" and I respond, "Not tonight; maybe another night." Then you say, "Okay. Goodnight, Mom!" 😃

-This was the semester that you conquered your stage fright. During your March Hebrew Shabbat, there were officially no tears for the first time!

-You've been going to Emler swim school since January, and this summer it's like a lightbulb went on! You LOVE swimming to me, jumping in the pool, and seeing how far you can swim. You still don't know how to come up for air yet, but you have great breath control and use your arms and legs very well. You used to hate going to swim lessons, but now you look forward to it eagerly!

-A quick snapshot of what you LOVE at 3 and a half: swimming, practicing chewing bubble gum (you have swallowed more pieces than spit them out at this point), dancing and playing your air guitar, Avery babysitting, lollipops, juice of any kind, M&M yogurt, Danimal smoothies, Ms. Bev, having iPhone time, kolaches, donuts for breakfast, Mommy, going to the library (to play on the iPads!), your Yo Gabba Gabba shirt, Daniel Tiger, Old Town Road song, Aladdin, watching a show after bath, color baths, Wyatt, Asher, Zohar, waking up and getting in our bed to cuddle first thing in the morning, Pringles, bagels with cream cheese, taking a lunch to school/camp (which is so rare because we do hot lunches at school year round!), apples (I can't eat one around you, or you will usurp it!), popsicles, riding your bike, Daddy and I "swinging" you between us as we walk

-My favorite things you say: "Hey little MAN!" in an angry voice when you're mad at someone, and when that someone is Quinn, you nag him with, "Okay, Quinny-Quinn-Quinn-Quinn-Quinn!?!?!" Nearly every time we have arrived at our destination, you ask, "Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" knowing we are. "What is my BUTT doing?" when you're dancing. And the obvious, "I love you, Mommy!"

At the end of April, we had our parent/teacher conference with Ms. Hani and Ms. Valerie. After two years with them as your teachers, the first thing they said to us with huge smiles on their faces made me tear up: "Knox loves to make people smile. He genuinely cares about others and gets upset when they are hurt or sad. His smile lights up the room. And he's funny! He loves to make others laugh." The images that came to my mind were of your silly, wide-eyed smile, your spastic yet hilarious dances, your crazy faces you make, your tushy wiggles, your funny voices, your giggles when being tickled. Your smile certainly lights MY world up, but it was so remarkable to hear your teachers notice that, to have these sweet ladies mention that you are a light to them, too. Your deep concern and care of others, your sweetness to your friends and teachers - those are traits I observe in you, as well. You may not be like that to your brothers all the time, but I see how respectful you are to others and how you try to be such a leader.

Knox Morgan, let's take the next 6 months to just enjoy three. Three is a hard age, sir. It's full of temper tantrums and meltdowns and time-outs and redirections. It's lots of "I wanna do it!" and "My turn!" and "Let ME try!" and "That's MINE!" It's attitude and asserting yourself and demanding to be seen and heard. Three is shouting what you want and what you don't while not understanding why you can't get your way all the time. Three is finding "No" unacceptable, causing a tornado of emotions. Three is the unleashing of frustration and the finding of freedom all at the same time. Three is still trying to learn how to express yourself while trying to understand the world around you. Three is defiance, indecision, and impatience all while wanting power, control, and attention. But, let's really try to be patient with each other, to learn from one another, and to embrace the hard. After all, three is also cuddles and snuggles, tickles and laughter, piggyback rides and airplane rides. It's hand-holding, kisses, hugs, and sitting in my lap. It's falling asleep in the carseat, sippy cups, kissing boo boos, lullabies, and laying "keppe" on Mommy. I sure do love being your Mommy, sweet boy!

Happy Half-Birthday, Knoxaluh!
I LOVE YOU, Baby Love!
Love,
Mommy

All The Places

Many of you have followed my blog for a while and know I love taking the kids around town to fun places - to learn new things, to experience a wide variety of areas, to meet new people. A lot of you have called me Super Mom or praised me for being some kind of "great mom." But, let's be honest. The only thing that makes me "super" is knowing my limitations... that I cannot just stay at home with my kids who would otherwise drive me INSANE. I am sick of the screen time fights, the incessant snacking, the "I'm bored" comments, the constant cleaning up of spill after spill. The only thing that saves me is getting OUT of the house, getting away from our normal mess, and forcing me to really engage with the kids instead of nagging them about cleaning up... or being kinder ... or using inside voices ... or to stop asking for the computer or my phone or the Nintendo... or the constant whistling of the same tune over and over. Really. Sometimes I can't stand my own kids when we are just cooped up in the house. The real saints are the ones who CAN. Anyway, my sister suggested I put together a long list of all the places we go, have been, or are (*)wanting to try out in the DFW area. So, without further delay, I bring you ALL THE PLACES! (PLEASE message me or post a comment to add to this list! We are always looking for new places to go!)

WATER PARKS:
Hawaiian Falls
Epic Waters
Frisco Water Park
NRH2O*

PARKS/SPLASH PARKS:
Oak Hills Park in Carrollton
Klyde Warren Park
Hope Park
Scottish Rite Hospital playground
Celebration Park in Allen
Campbell Green in Dallas
Mary Heads Carter Park in Carrollton
Dream Park in Fort Worth*
Little Elm Beach - has a playground, volleyball courts, and "beach" area
Arbor Hills Nature Preserve - park and hiking trails

DAY CAMPS:
Elevate Gymnastics
My Gym in Frisco
Metroplex Gymnastics in Allen
Young Chef's Academy (also has individual cooking classes)
Infinite Bounds
Power Kids

PARENTS NIGHT OUT:
Impact America Martial Arts
My Gym
Metroplex Gymnastics

CLASSES:
Home Depot Kid's Workshop
Lowe's Build & Grow classes
7 Notes - kids music classes - free trials
Little Gym - free trials
Gymboree - free trials for gym, music, and art classes

COOKING:
Young Chef's Academy in Frisco
Central Market Cooking School
Taste Buds*

INDOOR PLAY SPACES:
Cheeky Monkeys
Nickelmania
Walnut Hill Rec Center open gym
Campbell Green open gym toddler time
Play Street Frisco, Allen, McKinney, Plano
The Kids Play Co. (new owners are not as good as the old Play Date Co.)
The Coop in Frisco
Peppa Pig World of Play at Grapevine Mills Mall
Palaestra Gymnastics in Dallas
Safari Run in Plano
Kids Castle in Plano
Obstacle Warrior Kids
Prestonwood Baptist Church
Thunderbird Roller Skating Rink
Star Center Ice Skating
Spark!
Chuck E. Cheese's
Galleria play area
Willowbend Mall - also has "Summer Fun Thursdays" shows
Luv2Play
Free Play Arcade
Whirly Ball in Plano*
Little Humans, Big Fun
Regeneration Arcade
Lunar Golf at Grapevine Mills Mall
Watermark Church - Tree Fort
The Ark at GracePoint Church
Soar*
Jump Street
Color Me Mine
Paint 'N Party
Park In Play in Sachse
Pump It Up
Pinstack
Altitude Trampoline Park
Strikz
Battlefield in Denton
Escape rooms*
Jungle Joe's in Frisco
EQ Kids Club
JumpMania
Urban Air in Frisco or Dallas
Kid Mania
Jump Zone in Frisco
CooCoo's in Plano
The Tubes & The Bugs at Irving Bible Church

OUTDOOR PLAY PLACES:
Six Flags
Adventure Landing
SpeedZone*
RoughRiders games

YUMMINESS (great kids places to snack or dine)
TC Shaved Ice in Frisco
Sugar Mountain in Plano
Menchie's
Yummilicious
Bahama Bucks
Monster Yogurt
Hula Hut in Little Elm
Nico's Cocina in Carrollton (outdoor play space for kids)
Rainforest Cafe at Grapevine Mills Mall
Hat Creek - play area outside
Nerdvana - coffee shop with board games
Babe's Chicken - a family favorite
Bubba's in Dallas or Frisco
Country Burger
Great Wall Buffet
String Bean
Sunny Street Cafe
Magic Time Machine -- okay, not so yummy, but definitely fun
Frisco Rail Yard*

MUSEUMS:
Perot Museum
UT Arlington Planetarium*
Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
National Videogame Museum
SeaLife
SeaQuest
Herd Museum in McKinney
Frisco Discovery Science Center
Children's Aquarium at Fair Park
Crayola Experience
Safety Town in Frisco
Fire Station - (not so much a museum, but didn't know where to categorize this one!)
Dallas Museum of Art
Dallas Heritage Village

FARMS:
Blase Family Farm (Blueberry and Pumpkin farm)
Blueberry Hills Farm*
Ham Orchard
Plano Heritage Farmstead Museum
Yesterland Farm
Cathy's Critters

THEATERS:
Studio Movie Grill - Children's Summer Series
Alamo Drafthouse - Kids Camp and/or Cereal Party on weekend mornings
Medieval Times- dinner and show
Willowbend Mall Movies
Plano Children's Theater
Geppetto's Theater*

REC CENTERS/POOLS:
Tom Muehlenbeck Center
Jack Carter Pool
Texas Pool
Heights Family Aquatics Center
Fretz Park Pool

ZOOS:
Dallas Zoo
Fort Worth Zoo
Gentle Zoo
Fritz Petting Farm in Irving
Fossil Rim - drive through zoo

LIBRARIES/BOOK STORES:
Haggard Library
Bookmarks
Barnes & Noble - story time
Public libraries - check story times and puppet show times in quarterly event magazines

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
Wee Volunteer
Brighter Bites
Meals on Wheels*
The Birthday Party Project
Hope Supply Co.*
Angel Tree

OTHER SEASONAL FAVORITES:
ICE! at Gaylord Texan
Trains at NorthPark Centre
Candlelight at Dallas Heritage Village
Great Wolf Lodge
Frisco Square ice skating
Vetruvian Lights
Preston Trail Farms
Dallas Arboretum

And ANOTHER Year Makes EIGHT!

Dear Banner,
Oh my. I cannot believe I just typed in that title up there - EIGHT years old. It is so true what we parents know all too well: the days are LONG but the years are so very SHORT. Every day can feel like a year, and every year feels like a day, and I am so awed by how quickly you went from my swaddled baby to my active boy. Each year when I write your birthday newsletter, I try to think of all the little things that make you who you are - your likes and dislikes, your interests and abilities, your typical schedule and routine. I want to capture you at this very moment - for myself of course - but also for you to look back on and remember what you were like at this age. But, I was writing your "I Believe" the other night, and I kept having to shrink the font size to get my words to fit on one page because I just kept writing and writing and listing and listing - all the beautiful memories and experiences and intricacies that make you so perfectly Banner.

So, the hard part is trying to capture you when you are so very complex. I don't know where to start, so no better way than to just dive in:

-You're a very social kid. You always want a friend to come over. You want to invite friends to join us out to dinner, or you wonder who is coming with us whenever we go somewhere and can be disappointed when I say it's just our family. The only times you seem to get in trouble at school are for talking to friends. You want to run that mouth of yours even when the teacher is talking, and you like to try to blame it on the other kids, but we both know you're a talker and it's hard to stop your mouth from saying what pops into your brain.

-That brain... it's always working. You're always curious, very inquisitive, always planning or thinking or negotiating. This summer you are taking SIGS classes (Summer Institute for Gifted Students) even though I tried to talk you out of it. It's an early start time and getting up early on a "school day" is always a challenge for you (but never on the weekend, of course!). But, you pretty much begged to participate, and who am I to tell you no to an academic summer!? You want to think and use that brain of yours to solve complex problems in creative ways.

-You started seeing Ms. Kim this last semester of school. You were complaining of anxiety symptoms ("I think I'm having a heart attack," "It's hard to breathe," having tummy aches) and you are still struggling with sleeping through the night, so a counselor was a good option for you. In addition, you talk to Ms. Kim about your relationship with Quinn and your ADHD symptoms. You can be very impulsive and inattentive, and that can get in the way of your relationships with Quinn and with us. Ms. Kim has really helped us see the you that ADHD can sometimes hide, the sweet boy I've always known is there but can't show up sometimes due to the complications the symptoms cover up. I'm looking forward to continuing to work with her to help you with your sleeping through the night in your own room and to helping you feel safe and calm.

-Speaking of your relationship with Quinn: you really wish you were an only child. That's the bottom line. You and Quinn have SO much fun together and can be the best of friends, but you do not like sharing attention, time, toys, games, etc. It's hard for you to compromise and share turns. You don't just want to be the alpha male, you want to be the ONLY male.

-You love all things construction, building, assembling and disassembling, creating, and sharing. You love Legos, love to make your own videos, love science experiments with Daddy, love planting and gardening, love finding interesting items around the house to recycle into an experiment or an art project.

-Day-to-day life with you can often depend on what kind of mood you are in. You can be difficult to motivate to get ready for school each morning - lots of reminders to get dressed or eat breakfast or brush teeth. You would rather find any little trinket to play with and distract you. What's important to you at any given time takes over what is ultimately important to getting you out the door on time. We've been focusing on helping you manage your time with the phrase, "First things first, Banner." I say this a lot, because you need redirecting to finish homework before playing a game or find your shoes before determining which Pokemon cards you're going to give to Quinn, for example. We have to be mindful to turn off the TV before we give you a task to make sure we have your attention. We forget we cannot parent you from across the room, as you can completely tune us out. I can ask you many times to do something, but you'll forget before you even get half-way to where you were going and say, "Wait, what did you say?" We ask for eye contact first, we have you repeat what we asked you to do, we give reminders, but sometimes the task still doesn't get done. You are like the absent-minded professor sometimes, and while it is comical on some level, it's infuriating on another. I just wish I knew what it was like to be in your brain - always thinking, always moving, always distracted.

-You've grown quickly this year. We will see Dr. B next week, so I'll update this post at that time with your official stats, but you are now in size 8 clothes and size 2 shoes. You kinda skipped through size 7 pretty quickly, as well as size 1 shoes. Yet, you're still on the little/short side when it comes to comparing you to your peers. You can eat a LOT when you get hungry - wanting snack after snack after snack, or wanting to order two meals at a restaurant. You'll eat what your brothers don't finish, and you'll still ask for more. At the same time, your eyes are way bigger than your belly, and you will fill up a Menchie's cup with way too much frozen yogurt and way too many toppings and barely make a dent in it. Your appetite is so hit-or-miss, and I have a feeling as you get older, it is going to be increasing quite a bit!

-You do LOVE sweets. You love candy, beg for sodas (which we barely allow except Sprite), will always ask for dessert, enjoy Slurpees, never pass up making cookies or mug cakes at Grandma & Papa's house, and talk any of your caretakers into getting you sugared up before we come home.

-This year we went on your first cruise, went out of the country for the first time, went camping for the first time. You taught yourself cursive, learned to tie your shoes (kind of), and learned to snap. You went to GFC by yourself for Fall and Spring camps for the first time. You had your first dental procedure (removal of a mucocele on the inside of your mouth) and were so brave. You went to the Texas Capitol and talked to legislators with Daddy and the ADL. You were "in charge" of a cruise ship for 5 seconds for the first time, too!

-Your typical schedule: Up at 6:50 on a school day - and I have to talk you into waking up - finding any carrot to get you up: it's hat day, it's art day, it's bike rodeo, it's book fair, there's free breakfast, anything I can think of that will get you UP. (Of course if it's the weekend you're up long before 6:30 because - well, you want to drive me MAD!)  On most days, I drop you off at school around 7:30 before I head to work, other times Daddy drops you or you ride your bike. After school this year, you've been with either me, Grandma, Aunt Kira, or BeeBee depending on if it's a work day for me or not. Then, dinner around 6:00ish, shower around 7:15, and bed by 8:00. And usually you pass out - but you'll be up at least once or twice before morning.

-Some of your favorite things/things that make you so happy: Nintendo Switch, play dates, basketball, Minecraft, Super Mario Odyssey, swimming, Chuck E Cheese's, movie nights, sleeping in our room or having me or Daddy sleep in your bed, the computer, PACE, Brycen & Nami, spending the night at Grandma's, the Levis (big and little), Landon, Sepehr, Max, being on a soccer team, karate class, dates with just Mom or Dad, going to Aunt Jacque's house, getting gifts or party favors, shopping online, riding your bike to school, Nerf guns, arcades, cheese quesadillas.

-Some of your least favorite things/things that make you angry or upset: having to share, leaving someone's house or when they leave ours, being by yourself, time outs, being interrupted, being asked to drink milk, not getting what you want, having to tag along to Quinn and Knox's swim lessons, going upstairs/downstairs by yourself, bugs, homework (mostly writing assignments).

For your birthday celebration, we couldn't decide for the longest time where to have a party. We considered so many different places from National Video Game Museum to Battlefield to Free Play again, but ultimately decided on Impact America where you take martial arts classes and earned your yellow belt just a few weeks ago. It turned out to be a perfect little gathering of good friends and family, and you got to help lead the party with Mr. Wilkinson. There was a lot of laughter and sweating and running and more giggling. Then we went to an impromptu dinner with Zaide/BeeBee and Grandma/Papa, and that was a lot of fun, too! We ended the night with an annual reading of your yearly "I Believe." I just adore this tradition for so many reasons: it gives me closure on the year we've spent with you at that particular age, and it helps us as a family remember so many fun times. I hope in years to come you will look back at each age and reflect on those memories with love and joy, remember the songs and movies, books and toys you were in to at those times, and reflect on what a blessed life you have.

When you got up this morning, Daddy went to get donuts, but you were too busy playing with your new Pokemon cards and constructing your new Labo from Grandma and Papa to even let us put a candle in a donut or sing "Happy Birthday." We went to Damon's birthday party mid-morning and spent the early afternoon eating, splashing at the splash park, and having fun with family. Then, a storm came through just as we were leaving. We tried to open the garage door when we got home, but there was no power, and since Daddy only brought our car key with us (and no house key), we were locked out. We tried to drive to Grandma's house, but with hail and torrential downpours, we decided it wasn't a good idea, especially as trees and branches were falling around us. So, we drove back home and asked our neighbors if we could hang there for a while. Luckily, BeeBee came over about an hour later to give you a birthday gift, and she let us in! Then, you wanted to go see Secret Life of Pets 2 at Studio Movie Grill, so we did that for dinner, and in the middle you turned to me and said, "This is hilarious. Aren't you glad I brought you here?" :)  Then we came home and you put together one of your new Lego sets before saying goodnight. I'd say it was a pretty fun day!

On June 3, you asked me if I had started your "I Believe," and I hadn't yet. I don't usually until a couple days before your birthday, but you were very distraught, even cried, because I hadn't started it yet. You thought it meant you weren't important to me or that I had forgotten and wouldn't have time to do it for you. I held you and made you look at me in the eyes as I said, "I got you, Banner. I promise you I will never forget." You seemed tentative, but I was so grateful that you cared, that my efforts to reflect and document all these treasured memories for you made a difference to you. Thank you for that. As I said goodnight to you last night, the last night as a 7-year-old, I told you, "8 years ago tonight, I had never met you, and now I can't imagine my life without you." You said, "You're making me cry." Oh. My Angel Baby, you just open my heart more and more. Sometimes Mommy needs to hear that you care and needs to know that you feel that connection I feel. It's hard for me to tell sometimes, as you push me away physically periodically or you tell me you don't care about certain things, but these quiet, peaceful times just the two of us, the real you comes out and we click and snuggle and tear up together. Those beautiful conversations are what keep me going on the hard days, just knowing that I'm your rock and we have each other and there isn't a thing we can't talk about.

In the glow of the nightlight, we talk about where babies come from, why Christians believe in Jesus, what my grandparents were like, how much we miss Bubbie, how racism is wrong and what we can do to stop it, how to be a better friend to someone or how to navigate a difficult friendship, how important being honest and truthful is, and how someone could walk into a synagogue and shoot people. There are no great answers to some of these difficult topics, but we are figuring them out together - you asking the great questions and me finding the words to help you understand the world. I have no idea what I'm doing, Banner, and I'm pretty sure you figured that out around 6 months old and have kept it a secret for me for a long time. But, truly, I don't. The one thing that keeps me going, though, is knowing that you and I are in this together - that I am here for you no matter what, and my love for you is strong and unconditional. Of that I am completely sure, and there's no messing that up, so if I trust in that, we cannot go wrong and will figure it all out together.

Keep asking the tough questions. Keep telling me what's on your mind. Keep pushing yourself to learn and inquire and test and understand. Keep growing and changing, even if I want so badly for you to stop just as you are and spend the rest of your life with your little, thin hand in mine.

I love you so much, Angel Baby!
Happy 8th Birthday and MANY, MANY more!
Love,
Mommy