My Little Man

For My Athlete ~

In my heart you are always my little man, but this year has seemed to seal the deal that you're really not.  You are done with the third grade and headed "upstairs" at school.  The coveted second floor - WOW!!!  It doesn't seem like that's the place for you yet, but you do everything you can to prove that it is absolutely the place for you.  You are so very grown up for your nine year old body.

This was another great school year for you.  You are so, so smart, but you finally started making us work to keep you in the game.  Third grade was not your usual piece of cake and we spent a lot of time on  multiplication and projects like your Indian diorama.  You loved reading books from the Percy Jackson series and most nights found me in your room telling you lights out after you asked for just a few more minutes to finish a chapter.  You also discovered a love for history and social studies and always studied for those tests without being asked.  Mrs. Munroe confessed that you have become her favorite because you know when to be serious but she loves you most when you're your usual fun self.

Sports kept all of us busy this year and you had great basketball and baseball seasons again. Your team won the championships in basketball and watching you on the court is my favorite winter activity in the whole world.  Your intensity and leadership are truly remarkable.  It is amazing to see how much you have developed since last year and how your physical instincts are starting to pair so well with your learned knowledge (thanks, Daddy!) of sports.  You really are just something else and I can't imagine one thing that you can't do if you set your mind to it.  When your're not playing sports you're watching them and loving it.  Padres games are still your favorite and you tell me that you can't wait to go to SDSU so you can go to games all the time.  The apple does not fall far from the tree around here.

School and sports fill every one of our days from September to June, but my favorite thing about you is you.  We interviewed orthodontists before you got your braces and all of them complimented me on how polite and intelligent you are.  You feed your dogs and take out the trash and never ever complain.  You ask for seconds when I make baked ziti and thank me for making your dinner.  You call your Nana on the way to school and always ask her how she's doing before you tell her the thing you're just dying to say.  You genuinely love your family and friends and have the most extraordinary way of connecting with the littlest members of our family.  You are the most fun, most thoughtful, most wonderful boy and I am so grateful for you.

Congratulations on another great year.  You make me so proud and happy.  Being your Mom is truly a gift.

With All my Love,

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