Great Big Number 9!

Dear Jack,

Nine years ago today, at 1:55pm, you came into this world and forever changed ours. Time has gone quickly and so have the changes in you.

Nine seems like a big number to me, it's only one away from ten. Double digits. And then I feel like I will blink and you will driving. And then, if I turn my head for just a second, you'll be an adult.

And that makes me glad, because that is exactly how it is supposed to be.

(Since Kamden is on a soccer team this spring, you have really started liking soccer. We play soccer as a family often and you have really honed your goalie skills)

Grade three is almost over for you and you have taken it all in stride. You do very well in school and you make your Mommy and Daddy proud. (Except for that teacher for Social Studies and Health that marks 25% of each assignment based on how well you draw and colour. Whatever lady ask him anything on the topic, he'll know it, THAT is what is important.)

This year, all boys your age are into Bakugan. Now, this is WAY over your Mom's head, regardless of how much you try to explain it to me. All that stuff about attributes and New Vestroya and Drago are much like Greek to me. But the excitement in your eyes when you play this with your brother and the way you know every lyric to the TV show's theme song makes me smile. You are growing up. You are developing your own interests outside the interest of our family of four. All is as it should be.

This past year you have developed a love of reading that I hope will last a lifetime. So far, your attention is mostly on books about Bakugan. Which reminds me of my brother, your Uncle Trevor, who spent hours reading books about Dungeons and Dragons and Chess, and Poker and (fill in blank here) but that's another story all together. Regardless, I love how you are just like me and get completely enveloped in what you are reading. Now you know why I don't hear you talking to me when I am reading.

(This picture is a classic example of how not to use manual settings, particularly if you forget to turn your flash on)

This year marked,what I hope is, the beginning of your piano education. Your memory, once again, amazes me. Play a song through less than 10 times and you have it completely memorized. Tonight at your last class you got through your note cards before everyone else and I was commenting (okay basically shamelessly bragging) about your memory. This is when you piped up that you could see the answers on the back of the card. Thanks dude, make a liar out of me, see if I care. At least you are honest.

You still don't overly love to pose for pictures (and apparently really like red shirts) but I managed to get a few nice shots of you this past week. I tell you this all the time but it bears repeating here so you can mock me when you are older - you are going to ask me when you are an adult why there are so few pictures of you and I will tell you it is because you wouldn't let me take any.

Another quirk of yours is your inability to lie to me. I can tell right away by the smirk and look in your eye (crossing my fingers that this one lasts through those teen years). And if you are mad at me, I can make you laugh by laughing out loud. This brings you no end of frustration and you try with all your might to keep your mad on.

You are smart, confident and kind. You are goofy, stubborn and proud. You are you.

You are a great big brother and a wonderful son. We love you Jack, exactly as you are.

Love Mommy