Dear A, Now You’re Nine! {a birthday post]

It’s true. I am behind on writing both boys’ birthday blog posts. Time just goes so fast around here. We have a running joke: “nobody’s allowed to get older.” And the boys laugh and say, “But we HAVE to grow up!” I am still in denial about that! Ha! This February, our oldest turned nine, and I realized with chagrin his last birthday blog update was when he was 7 and a half! (I do write him a birthday letter on hard copy, but sometimes just neglect to blog it!). So here we go. To our dear Asher, from 7-1/2 to 9!

School Stuff

You started and finished second grade and started third grade (this is what happens when I wait a year and a half between birthday posts!). Academically you excel. You have an excellent memory, easily memorizing poems, Bible verses, and large quantities of our CC Memory work! You’re skilled at map drawing, math, and reading several grades above your age level. You are so easy to teach!

We’ve studied through Classical Conversations Cycle 3 (US History) and are nearly done with Cycle 1 (Ancient Times).

You love to draw to learn and have completed many ancient times, Greek myths, and nature drawings. This year I got you a Funschooling Psalms & Proverbs drawing and writing book that you’ve enjoyed as well. And you love taking chalk pastel lessons from You ARE an Artist!

Sports & Hobbies

Asher, this past year and a half has been such a time of growth for you.

Two summers on swim team: You’ve shown determination, diligence in practice, and remarkable progress. You even earned the Most Improved trophy in 2018 as well as quite a few ribbons! You’re built like a swimmer, and I hope you continue to enjoy this sport!

You’ve played two seasons of soccer and another season of basketball. In soccer this last year you scored 4 goals in one game!

In your second year of piano lessons, you’re doing well at this skill, too. I love hearing you play and that our Piano Safari program allows this rusty pianist to play alongside you! You love to get silly on the piano and make up your own versions of the songs you’re learning. You are grasping the concept of “mood” in your playing, and you love the improvisation pieces.

We’ve discovered you’re quite the public speaker! When you give presentations at CC or in Sunday School memory recitations, you stand up nice and tall, look the audience in the eye, and speak clearly. It’s rather remarkable in one your age. Last week, you gave a humorous recitation of the poem “Poor Old Jonathan Bing” with funny voices and inflections and all. Perhaps you’ll enjoy acting when you get older?

Your Favorites

You love: the ocean, bike riding, being outside, camping, your cousins, LEGO, drawing, reading, board games (especially chess, Risk, and CATAN). Hot cocoa, Poetry Teatime, Five Guys, chicken caesar salad, salmon, sea kayaking. Campfires, roasting marshmallows… you really just enjoy life to the full.

Your favorite animals are: turtles, and lizards, and frogs, and fish. For your ninth birthday we gave you a huge sea turtle stuffed animal to add to your burgeoning collection of extra-large stuffies! I’m not really sure there’s enough room in the bed for you!

One thing you’re not a big fan of is messy things – cooking/baking, or carving pumpkins – just not for you!

Best of You

You are one of the most agreeable kids I know. Always willing to help when I ask, and rarely do I hear a complaint out of you (unless someone’s trying to break you away from your ever-present books, then we get the “do I have to stop reading” look!).

I love that your friends are one of the most important things to you. You truly love being around people. Your heart of thankfulness is a joy, and I love hearing you give praise testimonies at church (usually for your friends, your home, and your parents).

You are willing to try new foods, and everyone is usually amazed at the “grown up” foods you enjoy, like salmon, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, and caesar salad!

Creativity is your middle name. Whether it’s dressing up, designing a new layout for your bedroom, or crafting things with paper, tape, and string, you’re always inventing and making something! Your tinker box needs regular replenishment!

We celebrated your 8th birthday with a Ninja themed birthday party (with a nod to the LEGO Ninjago characters!). We celebrated your 9th birthday with a Lizard themed birthday party!

Favorite books

If the house is quiet, I know you’re curled up somewhere deep into a book. You have read probably hundreds of chapter books to date (well above your grade level), and you love to re-read books (you don’t get that from me!). Here’s a few of your favorites from this past year:

• The Green Ember Series
• How to Train Your Dragon Series
• A-to-Z Mysteries
• The Incorrigible Children
• The Penderwicks
• The Hardy Boys

Your Milestones

• Learned to ride a bike (summer of 2017)
• Lost more teeth
• Learned the butterfly stroke in swim
• Observed a solar eclipse
• Learning to sew on buttons
• Raised butterflies
• Completed 2nd grade
• Passed level 5 in swim
• Earned your Yellow Belt in Tang Soo Do karate

Where You’ve Traveled (in ascending order)

• Thorncrest Farm – Goshen, CT
• Arethusa Farm – Litchfield, CT
• March Farm –
• Old Saybrook Beach House – Old Saybrook, CT
• Harkness Memorial Park
• Camping in Jamaica, VT
• Mystic Aquarium – Mystic, CT
• Plimoth Plantation – MA
• Wacky Walk of Hartford, CT
• Pumpkintown, USA – CT
• CT Historical Society – CT
• The Big E (2017 and 2018) – MA
• Bushnell Carousel – CT
• Legoland Discovery Center x2!
• Wadsworth Atheneum – Festival of Trees, and several other events
• Washington DC – Cherry Blossom Festival (April 2018)
• Mount Vernon
• Forest Park Zoo – MA
• Great Wolf Lodge – MA

Now you’re nine.

The night before your birthday I told you, “I don’t feel like we had enough of you being 8!” (and moms, there’s never enough!). It gets harder and harder to leave each year behind…I can’t believe how fast the years go by, but each one is so so very good.

We are grateful God gave us your particular soul to tend (and your brother’s, of course!). Every year has been amazing with you.