Our Tween

Long days and hours, but the years and *gasp* decades go so quickly!  Some how our M turned ten this August!  Wow.  It really hit me when I realized  he came home at 17 months and this is about our halfway point with him before he turns 18.  How can that be?

Sweet Baby M at 9 months... it feels like a month ago I was staring at that photo waiting for him to come home. 

The night before his Birthday I told him I needed a picture of him on his last day of being a single digit!  Isn't that crazy, no more single digits... ever?!?!

Last day as a nine year old!

M is 10!  He is showing us his desire for independence in many ways every day.  He also shows us his deep needs each day.  We are working hard to empower him to have more responsibilities and to figure things out on his own.

His Birthday was overall a good day for him.  We tried to fill it with things and people he loves. T was up early making him something for his special day.  She loves to give gifts.  Other people's special days are still hard for her, but she does get a thrill out of gift giving.

T: Do you like this bag I made for M? 

M and T were both up pretty early and ready to open presents.  This year M had one very big gift (in size and cost) so he got fewer presents overall.  T got several smaller 1/2 Birthday gifts.  Yes, even though I just blogged about T's Birthday, she is now well into 7.5 and will be 8 before we know it!

T: Yes, I finally have my own discman (We are trying to raise kids who embrace the 90's)

T: I love my spa day kit!

M only really asked us for one thing for his Birthday, this expensive trike for big kids that makes real sparks and spins around.  He was overwhelmed to see we came through!

M: I can't believe it!

JOY!

M: I love it!

M: Here I go!

M let me have a turn too.  I have to say.  I loved it, I really loved it.  I was squealing with delight honestly.  I felt like I was 10 again!

I am a little big for it, but it was so much fun!

While I made an insane amount of pancakes T tried out her spa beads and M and Brandon tried his new NFL game.

T: A good soak in the morning feels good. 

M: This looks like a fun game, right Dad? 

M: Pancakes are my favorite breakfast!

After Breakfast Brandon headed to work and the kids and I headed to the final program at the library.  M didn't really want to go saying it was for babies.  There were many classmates there so his attitude changed at least slightly. It was an impressive juggling show.  Both kids got to play a part in it.

M: I got to do a spinning plate. 

T: I got to throw a frisbee.

Tada!

Yep, I totally took a pic because I was so impressed!

After the show M was talking with friends and T and I went upstairs to get some holds.  She saw a puzzle and became obsessed.  We did a little section together and she loved it. This is what inspired us to do the puzzle after her surgery.

T: 1,000 piece puzzles are awesome. 

When we got home we discovered that the spa beads had grown huge.  Very cool!

T: Look how big they are! 

M wanted lasagna for lunch.  Thankfully I was able to convince him to allow me to make lasagna the day before his Birthday so we could have leftovers for lunch.  

After lunch I took the kids to Park along with lots of a healthy-ish variety of popsicles to share with all the kids there.  I also had Buttercup in crate.  He hurt his leg last winter and we gave him meds for a long time following the vet's rules.  Month's later he had a different fall and we went to a different vet and I was "cat mom shamed" for over medicating and was scared by the damage I could have done to his kidneys and liver.  After our neighbor dog died we decided to make Buttercup an appointment with yet another vet to get checked out.  I had a great experience at this vet and as it turns out Buttercup is very healthy and we have nothing to worry about!  

After the vet I stopped back by the park to pick up leftover popsicles and there were none.  T was very upset that M hadn't shared fairly and she wanted to come home with me.  I was not thrilled by this but said yes.  I told her I had to go on a walk and she needed to come with me.  She scootered and I kept trying to get her to go back to the park but she refused.

My view!

After the walk she read and I frosted the cakes and got to work on the pizzas. I attempted to make my own grain free pizza with an egg crust and homemade cheese.  It was OK but needs some refining for sure.  M was very happy with the pizza.

Yummy!!!

I let the cakes cool way too long in the pan so I couldn't get them out to do a layer cake.  I decided to put candles in both cakes making a 1 and a 0 for 10!  It looks a bit silly, but it tasted the same and thankfully that is what M cares about.

TEN!!

This year instead of having a friend party M wanted to have a friend sleep over.  His buddy D came over the weekend before.  The boys did some sports, we all went to the pool, we grilled and feasted, they played in the basement and eventually went to bed.  It was tricky with T, but we made it happen!  I thankful for M to have D as a friend.

M: I am so glad that D could stay over!

Some things about M at ten:

He still loves to read.  He is most interested in books about history, military, natural disasters, and mysteries.  He also loves graphic novels.  He reads for hours each day.  It is medicine to my soul that each of my kids loves books!  

He likes playing backyard sport and playground sports.  He loves kickball, baseball, football, and basketball.  He doesn't really like to be on teams, but likes to play for fun. 

He moved up with the older kids for Sunday School and is the oldest grade in his Elementary School and in our midweek ministry iGnite.  Sometimes he rises to the challenge and leads well.

He loves screens and treats and sugar and gum and all the things that most kids love and battle their parents for :)  

School comes pretty easily for him and we are thankful for this.  He likes his teacher this year.  

He is doing very well with giving himself injections and handles his shots with maturity.  He is brave and confident about them and eager to show everyone visiting what he can do.  

I am so excited what year ten will mean for M.  Hopefully he will begin therapy and a mentoring program soon.  We are hoping to start horseback riding by spring.  He is taking swimming lessons this fall/winter.  He has taken more of an interest in music again and we are excited about where this could lead too. 

I am so thankful to be M's mom and to be on this journey with him.  Many parts of this journey aren't easy, but we are in this together and I treasure every victory!  Year Ten, we are ready for you and we are working hard to find joy each day!