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scout benjamin gerber,
today is your 8th birthday, and i want you to
know how much i enjoy being your mom and how much we love having you as our youngest family member. every day is a blessing because i get to watch you grow, learn and explore. when i look at you today, here are 8 things i see:
1. You've matured so much over the last
year.
the changes came so fast – you lost your front baby teeth and the permanent teeth that took their place give you a whole new look….a big kid look. you grew physically a few inches – you are leaner and taller and you grew in other ways too. you've become more confidant and can now look an adult in the eyes when they speak to you and you to them. {we'd been working on that for some time}. you communicate your feelings more appropriately now when you are upset and this is a BIG change from your younger years. finn shared with me that he noticed too. you also help around the house more which is a big help to our family.
the changes came so fast – you lost your front baby teeth and the permanent teeth that took their place give you a whole new look….a big kid look. you grew physically a few inches – you are leaner and taller and you grew in other ways too. you've become more confidant and can now look an adult in the eyes when they speak to you and you to them. {we'd been working on that for some time}. you communicate your feelings more appropriately now when you are upset and this is a BIG change from your younger years. finn shared with me that he noticed too. you also help around the house more which is a big help to our family.
2. You still devour books.
since the tender age of 4, reading is something you have enjoyed. you get to experience adventure, danger, new places and people and so much more through the books you read. keeping new material on hand is a bit challenging for your dad and me, but we do our best. we visit the library often and if they don't have what you need, we have books sent over from surrounding libraries to our neighborhood library. you always have a series you are reading, as well as a list of what you want to read next. this is you scout….an avid reader who prefers books over video games. your favorite series is still harry potter, and it was no surprise you chose it as this year’s birthday theme. other book series you’ve enjoyed this year are the city of sparks, fablehaven, and the secret series. though it’s been years since you needed me to read to you, we still read out loud together almost every night. i’m not sure who enjoys it more…you or me. regardless, i hope it lasts for many more years. tonight, we will continue reading king arthur and the knights of the round table. you are enjoying this classic so much!
since the tender age of 4, reading is something you have enjoyed. you get to experience adventure, danger, new places and people and so much more through the books you read. keeping new material on hand is a bit challenging for your dad and me, but we do our best. we visit the library often and if they don't have what you need, we have books sent over from surrounding libraries to our neighborhood library. you always have a series you are reading, as well as a list of what you want to read next. this is you scout….an avid reader who prefers books over video games. your favorite series is still harry potter, and it was no surprise you chose it as this year’s birthday theme. other book series you’ve enjoyed this year are the city of sparks, fablehaven, and the secret series. though it’s been years since you needed me to read to you, we still read out loud together almost every night. i’m not sure who enjoys it more…you or me. regardless, i hope it lasts for many more years. tonight, we will continue reading king arthur and the knights of the round table. you are enjoying this classic so much!
3. Your favorite food is pizza with pepperoni
and bacon.
you love bacon and asked your dad to order a pizza with this combination months ago and now it's your favorite takeout pizza. some of your other favorite foods are crispy chicken, mangos, blueberries, edamame, boiled eggs, ice cream with lots of sprinkles and breakfast burritos from taco surf. you eat one at least once a week with your dad and brother and sit on a grassy knoll overlooking the pacific ocean. it’s become a weekly tradition.
4. Your friends are important to you.
since 1st grade, you’ve had a ‘bestie’ and his name is spencer. you two share so much in common, and more importantly, you two complement each other. developing deep friendships takes effort, time and dedication and seeing you practicing it so early in life is a beautiful thing. you have 2 other great friends and this year you chose to have this small group over for a birthday sleepover. it seems age 8 is the year the parents of your buddies are ok with letting their children have sleepovers. you've been anxiously awaiting as you watch your older brother having lots of sleepovers.
you love bacon and asked your dad to order a pizza with this combination months ago and now it's your favorite takeout pizza. some of your other favorite foods are crispy chicken, mangos, blueberries, edamame, boiled eggs, ice cream with lots of sprinkles and breakfast burritos from taco surf. you eat one at least once a week with your dad and brother and sit on a grassy knoll overlooking the pacific ocean. it’s become a weekly tradition.
4. Your friends are important to you.
since 1st grade, you’ve had a ‘bestie’ and his name is spencer. you two share so much in common, and more importantly, you two complement each other. developing deep friendships takes effort, time and dedication and seeing you practicing it so early in life is a beautiful thing. you have 2 other great friends and this year you chose to have this small group over for a birthday sleepover. it seems age 8 is the year the parents of your buddies are ok with letting their children have sleepovers. you've been anxiously awaiting as you watch your older brother having lots of sleepovers.
5. You are a competitor.
whether it’s swimming laps in the pool, scoring goals, beating your brother in a footrace or trying out for jr. guards (JG), you want to do well and you push yourself hard. when you tried out for grommet guards, your swim test wasn’t timed. even so, you made sure your dad timed you during all your practice swims and on tryout day, you asked the instructor to time you while he was timing your brother. you ended up with a personal record that day and was so proud of yourself. whether it’s academics, playing the piano, or doing any sport, {soccer, tennis, hiking, rollerskating, biking, tennis, or surfing}, you give it your ALL.
whether it’s swimming laps in the pool, scoring goals, beating your brother in a footrace or trying out for jr. guards (JG), you want to do well and you push yourself hard. when you tried out for grommet guards, your swim test wasn’t timed. even so, you made sure your dad timed you during all your practice swims and on tryout day, you asked the instructor to time you while he was timing your brother. you ended up with a personal record that day and was so proud of yourself. whether it’s academics, playing the piano, or doing any sport, {soccer, tennis, hiking, rollerskating, biking, tennis, or surfing}, you give it your ALL.
6. You are sensitive.
when you’ve had your feelings hurt, there’s no hiding how you feel. you wear your emotions on your sleeve…whether it’s fear, happiness, sadness, anger or excitement. your dad says you are a lot like you mom in this way. it's true. when you were younger, you struggled finding appropriate ways to express some of your feelings. you've made such strides this past year. we celebrate that you are sensitive scoutie, because it means you care deeply. it also reminds the family to be more aware so we can understand and love you better. that's what life is all about anyway...loving people well.
when you’ve had your feelings hurt, there’s no hiding how you feel. you wear your emotions on your sleeve…whether it’s fear, happiness, sadness, anger or excitement. your dad says you are a lot like you mom in this way. it's true. when you were younger, you struggled finding appropriate ways to express some of your feelings. you've made such strides this past year. we celebrate that you are sensitive scoutie, because it means you care deeply. it also reminds the family to be more aware so we can understand and love you better. that's what life is all about anyway...loving people well.
7. Soccer has become a passion of yours.
you've always enjoyed the game...even at age 4 when mom was 'attempting' to coach your team. it wasn't until last year that something clicked. your motor skills improved, you developed a better understanding of the game, and completely fell in love with it. it was a beautiful thing to watch. you wanted and needed more than recreational soccer and asked if you could tryout for competitive soccer. after lots of thought, your dad and i agreed. you made the riptide U9 team and since joining, you've improved so much from last year.
you've always enjoyed the game...even at age 4 when mom was 'attempting' to coach your team. it wasn't until last year that something clicked. your motor skills improved, you developed a better understanding of the game, and completely fell in love with it. it was a beautiful thing to watch. you wanted and needed more than recreational soccer and asked if you could tryout for competitive soccer. after lots of thought, your dad and i agreed. you made the riptide U9 team and since joining, you've improved so much from last year.
on the days you don't have practice, you ask your dad or me to take you to a local field so you can practice. we usually take turns. i love it because it gives me alone time with you...something i don't get much of during the week. i should mention you wear soccer jerseys almost
daily, and your germany jersey is your favorite! for whatever reason, germany
is your favorite team in the world. you follow their national team on the sports channel and cheer against the usa whenever they are playing us. it makes game time really fun at the gerber casa.
8. You love to learn.
early on, your interests seemed to be mostly what finn was interested in. i worried about your being in your brother's shadow or feeling like you were in his shadow. with finn being so vocal and having found his passions young, i badly wanted to see you find your interests and get sense of who you are away from him. this year, you have found your way and you are soaking up every opportunity to learn about the world. since i can't take you on trips around the world, we use reading as a way of expanding your world scout.
those that don't know you well, are sometimes surprised to learn that you are our most studious son. you enjoy every subject at school and want to be challenged in all of them. when you learn something and feel like you have it down, you are ready for the next challenge...you beg for the next challenge. bef ore you started kindergarten,
you announced to c and me that you were going to complete your kindergarten curriculum on-line as well the 1st grade because ou always want to be full year ahead. you did it, and have done this every summer. you enjoy online learning so much that you have gotten upset when we ask you to get off the computer. you don't understand why when you are doing something "educational". {educational or not, you don't need to be on electronics for hours a day}
early on, your interests seemed to be mostly what finn was interested in. i worried about your being in your brother's shadow or feeling like you were in his shadow. with finn being so vocal and having found his passions young, i badly wanted to see you find your interests and get sense of who you are away from him. this year, you have found your way and you are soaking up every opportunity to learn about the world. since i can't take you on trips around the world, we use reading as a way of expanding your world scout.
scout, these are all qualities that i see in you and celebrate
every day. you live and love in a
BIG way and that big heart of yours inspires others to do the same. happy
number 8 sweet blue-eyed boy.
love, mom
~ i almost forgot to share your stats. you are 49" tall and you weigh 49 lbs.It's gr8 2 b 8! {that was scoutmaster}
