The last single digit

Weston, it doesn't seem possible, but you are nine! Nine is a hard year for me to grasp, because it declares that half of your time at home has already passed, in nothing more than a blink. It's not a time of sadness, just a really tangible reminder of how quickly time passes. Because, honestly, in my mind, you should still be two. I just don't know how the years slip by so quickly! But, here you are, already nine. And, what an amazing nine-year-old you are! Every day you make me proud.

You are a hard worker, but you also like to have a good time. You are quick to help out, bidden and unbidden, not only at home, but in other settings as well. You are well-respected by your peers, as well as adults, and people often look to you to be a leader in a variety of situations. For many years, leading did not come naturally to you, but I can see really excellent leadership qualities in you now and hope you will continue to develop those traits, which I believe will serve you well from now on.

You have a wonderful, understated sense of humor, that often catches us off guard and leaves us rolling on the floor in laughter. You even did a stand-up routine at Campmeeting this year, which was a huge hit with everyone in attendance. You love to entertain, and you are very good at it.

Football is still your passion (though, in the off-season, you are pretty much up for all other sports). And, though you've always preferred not to be called by a nickname, you genuinely enjoyed having your teammates and coaches call you "Big Show" again this season. You improved throughout the season and loved every minute of every game and every practice. Even players on other teams noticed your size and skill and spoke of you in awed tones from the stands. You have also continued to be enthralled with watching the sport on television. You always pick a team to root for (no matter how obscure the teams playing may be), and you cheer for that team with all your heart. You have an amazing catalog of stats and schedules and rankings in your head, for both college and professional teams. You are still a crazy committed UT fan, and we gave you tickets to tomorrow's game for your birthday. I'll be borrowing a shirt from you, because 1). I don't own anything in that awful burnt orange color and 2). you and I wear the same size. They don't call you "Big Show" for nothing. You think about football all the time, and not long ago you declared that you definitely intend to play college ball. We assumed you were talking about playing for UT, but you thoughtfully added that you weren't too concerned about which school you played for, you just wanted to play for one that would offer you a scholarship, proving that your big brain is churning away inside your big body.

Speaking of your big brain, you are doing so well in school. You became a Memory Master in CC in the spring, and you are planning to try for the honor again at the end of this school year. You are also practicing for several PSIA events and are rocking your regular school work every day. Your special academic loves are Math, Science (particularly Chemistry) and Latin, but we have seen so much improvement in the last year in your Reading and Spelling and Writing. You really enjoy reading mystery books, and, in the last year, you have especially enjoyed The Boxcar Children series, The Magic Tree House series and the Encyclopedia Brown books. You still use the "calculator in your throat" (a term you came up with when you were very little) to store and churn through important information and to play with numbers in a variety of interesting ways. You are always noticing curious arrangements of numbers and making up your own just for fun.

You are an avid and eager game player, embracing every kind of board game. A few you have really been enjoying recently are Settler's of Catan, Toss Up, Trivial Pursuit, Scattergories and Scrabble. You also love the IQ Fit game you got from Nana and Papa for your birthday. And, you still love playing Forty-Two and Yahtzee. Another activity that has been endlessly entertaining for you in the last year are the Extreme dot-to-dot puzzles, with hundreds of dots to connect. These make me a little dizzy, but you excel at completing them.

Recently, Dad observed that you live in a state of "satisfeito," which is the Portuguese word for "satisfied" and a very accurate description of your normal state of being. You are generally content and calm and satisfied in whatever situation you find yourself. You are easy-going and fun-loving, which is why so many people are drawn to you and genuinely enjoy being in your company. You inspire me in so many ways, and I'm so proud to be your mom! I'm thankful for these last nine years with you, and, though I'm not eager for you to grow up too quickly, I am excited to see you grow into yourself more and more. You are truly a delight! I hope you have a very special birthday!

Much love,
Mom