And while I've learned a lot in my nine years of parenting, Blake is a constant reminder that I have so much more to learn and that we parents grow with our kids. There really is no easy part of parenting. The reward, however, is to see our sweet little babies become their own people. Here are a few things about Blake you may not know...
He's like his dad- he NEEDS time throughout the day to wonder and think; to process his thoughts, preferably with something in his hands, and just dream. He doesn't mind being alone and likes to be in his own space.
He loves games! He got an iPod Touch for his 9th birthday and they've been inseparable ever since. But it's not just silly games- his favorite is Boggle. And with his iTunes gift card he's been downloading flashcards and checkers! The games challenge his mind.
He loves the drums. We suspected this when he was younger and have a drum set in the rafters to prove it. Technology has come a long way, and an electronic set with ear phones is what I recommend for a small house and a loud instrument. Still...he thinks with his hands. He's constantly drumming a beat, can easily keep a beat and just loves to bang on things.
He loves to read. He likes mysteries and has been reading the Harry Potter series. When given the opportunity, it's not unusual for Blake to sit down and read quietly without "having" to.
He loves to build. Anything. And he wants to understand how things work. But once he gets an idea in his mind, there's little hope of stopping him until his project comes to fruition. Even in the middle of homework. Going back to #1, we realize that it's an important part of this dreaming and thinking. Apparently, Brian was the same way when he as a kid (and still is).
He's a really good teacher. Because he loves to learn, he's happy and patient enough to share what he's learned with the twins. He's an awesome big brother (when he's not teaching them potty words...)
He is very humble. If you know him, you probably already know this, but he's a little shy and mostly humble. He doesn't want or expect much from people, and he has a very generous heart. I will never forget the time he gave his entire allowance saved from two weeks ($7) to the church offering. And while we're still working on trustworthiness, he really tries to be conscientious and responsible.
He will mimic everything we do. When we are busy working, he builds himself office space and "goes to work". When we do or go somewhere special, he recreates that at home (everything from bowling, to a haunted house, to the library, to the store). He's always been an old soul and operates as if he's in a grown up world. This is the same kid who has always preferred things like office supplies over toys. And he keeps me checking my words, tone, stress and attitude, since he often reflects exactly what he's seeing around him.
Raising Blake has been and continues to be an amazing experience. When I realize that he's halfway through his childhood, I stop wishing the hard parenting moments away and just want reach out and give him giant bear hugs...stinky boy feet and all.
Happy 9th Birthday to my very special Blakers. We are SO proud of you!
