Grant @ 8 Years Old

How in the world are you 8?? Just how?? I can still hear your sweet baby coos, your little toddler giggle. The way you couldn't say your r's and l's. How your blonde hair glistened in the sun. How your baby bell stuck out under all your tshirts. And now here you are, 8 years old. Big voice, tall kid, permanent teeth, dark hair, muscular body. You're so darn big, I can't handle it!!

You have had an AMAZING year! Lots of changes for us all and you have exceeded my expectations!! This time last year, your dad was gone, you were going to half-day school and free as a bird! This year, daddy is home, you're in school most of the day, and our evenings are always busy! And yet, you've rolled with it all and have transitioned better than I imagined!

School has been going GREAT for you! You are definitely at school for more of the social aspect then the learning aspect, but you get good grades! You have some great buddies in your class, as well as the other classes too. You love playing kickball at recess or some imaginary game you make up! You love trading pens/pencils/erasers with some of the boys in your class. Cool school supplies are all the rage! You love Mrs. Knapp and pretty much what she says is gold!

You're a great reader! Chapter books are your new favorites- Might Robot and Kung Pow Chicken are your favorites right now! You're also doing fantastic in math- definitely one of your favorite subjects! Once or twice a week, I help out in your class and sometimes we get to work on creative writing. You are probably the most creative writer I know!! Your stories are hilarious! You have a writing style all your own and I love that! Science and Social studies are your other favorite subjects! Every two weeks, we go to the library and you check out every book you can about countries around the world. You have a world map next to your bed that you study meticulously every night before you go to sleep! You're something else! Non-fiction books all the way!

At school, your judge how your day went by where you finished on the behavior chart. You start at Ready to Learn and can move up to Excellent Effort, and then to Super Student. You are so proud if you make it to Super Student! We had some rough patches where you would move down to Make Better Choices and that upset you greatly. It was usually for talking or being a little too goofy. Lately, I think you've realized how good it feels to make good choices- you've had a lot of Super Students lately!

With us being so busy, playtime is hard to come by, but you and your brother still love spreading out all over the basement playing Setup. Basically, taking every Imaginext and Star Wars vehicle and building, and every Star Wars character and "setting up" bases. I 'm not sure what you do once you're set up, but I know that you both LOVE doing that! You guys still like your Legos too, but I don't see many creations from you anymore, so not sure what you do while playing Legos. You love drawing and doing art projects and creating with random things you find around the house! Art supplies are the way to your heart right now!

Gymnastics has been pretty good. You still LOVE it, but have been quite bored at Blue Valley. You are going to try a tumbling class at 360, which is really the part of gymnastics you love the most! I hope you find joy in that! You said you want to play Tennis and run track this summer, so we will see what we can do about that! You are fast and strong for sure!!

You are just a goofy boy through and through! You still have times where you are a little too crazy and get a little too out of control, but that's just who you are! You don't like to be too serious, and don't really like when we get serious with you. Emotions are never your strong suit- they make you uncomfortable! You aren't the most affectionate kid, but when you do show affection, its so heartfelt and I soak in every ounce! You are an awesome kid Grant! You are confident, you are a leader, and I feel like you are going to do great things each and every year!

We are so proud of the big kid you're becoming! I love your energy, your zest for life! I wish I could live inside your head for a day to see what it feels like to be so carefree!! We love you so very very much you big kid!! Don't ever change because you are God's masterpiece and he mastered you for sure!!!

Happy Birthday kiddo! I love you so very very much!

xoxoxo