Brown and Green make Blue: Happy 8th Birthday, Ethan!

Dear Ethan,

How can you be at yet another birthday? I blinked and the year is already gone. I looked back at my last few letters to you and it is so fun to see how you've changed and grown. You are still my same sweet boy, yet you continue to develop into so much more.

Over the past year you finished up first grade and made a smooth transition into second. You still love school, though this year you enjoyed your snow days and other vacation days instead of wishing you were still in school. Dad and I are amazed at all that you have learned already in second grade--you've moved beyond addition and subtraction to beginning multiplication and fractions. You read long books and you love to set (very) high reading goals for your monthly reading chart. Your favorite books are nonfiction ones about the subjects you are learning about in school. You also love mysteries, joke books, and the Boxcar Children series.

This past fall you started playing on an AYSO soccer team. It's perfect for you and you love every minute of the time you spend with your team, the Sharks. You have never played as part of a team before so dad and I were excited to see how you would do. Your excitement began on the day we signed you up and continued through every game and practice. I was working and had to miss your first game, but everyone who was there said you were in perpetual motion. On the days that I could, I loved watching you play--you have a great coach and he has taught you well. Dad and I especially love how exhausted you are after your practices and games. You crash when your head hits the pillow!

You are still quite a game player. Your favorite right now is the card game Monopoly Deal. At first I tried to be nice to you when we played. I should know better than to let you win. You don't need any help from me. It's all I can do to win when we play, even when I show no mercy! We play round after round after round. We still sneak in a few rounds of Triominoes, but I think you figured out that when I make you keep score it is so you can practice your math.

You continue to love anything sports related. When you play outside, you generally have a soccer or football field set up and you spend a lot of time dribbling the soccer ball around the yard. You love it when dad plays catch with you (not so much when I do it because there is no accuracy in my throwing!). On most Sunday afternoons you are checking to see if there is a ball game on TV--football or baseball, and you'll take a basketball game if it's your only option. Dad loves that you like to give a play-by-play during the game...just not so much when he's taking a nap. In September you were able to go to your first Major League Baseball game with "the guys". Sheer bliss for you.

This has been the year where you've decided to try pushing more boundaries--testing some of our limits and telling some lies. Thankfully for your dad and I, you are a terrible liar. You get this certain expression on your face and we immediately know that there is something you don't want to confess to. I think you try so hard to look innocent that we know there is something going on that you don't want to 'fess up to. You try to tell us "no" about things and boy does that bring out the stubborn in your mom and dad. We prefer the times when you'll talk things out with us, but I guess it's understandable that you want to test the limits.

You continue to be an awesome big brother. With the addition of your sister this year, there are more and more ways that I see how well you fit in this role. From the day Norah was born (after you declared "I didn't want a sister") you have been conscious of her and her needs. You regularly hold her for me so I can quick take care of something and you love to make her burst into fits of giggles. You'll even throw yourself on the floor if that will make her laugh. I also see patience and love when you interact with Micah. He loves it when you play Legos with him and you are often willing to include him when you play with your transformers. There have been days where the two of you will spend a whole morning playing together in the Lego world in your room. Thanks for being a wonderful big brother.

This year in school your teacher has been focusing a lot of time on prayer. I love that you are receiving that as part of your day to day education. Recently you had to memorize the Lord's Prayer; something you already knew. It was interesting to me to listen to you pray that prayer after I knew you had talked about it at school. I can tell that there is now more meaning behind the words for you--you are more careful and precise in your prayer. It is my hope and prayer that you continue to nurture that thoughtfulness and that you continue to think about your spiritual life.