Today is your golden birthday! You have been reminding us of this for approximately one whole year! In the last couple months you have been laying it on pretty thick, as in, "Soooo, just checking in... you guys do have something planned for my golden birthday right?" "You know my golden birthday is coming in 2 weeks. Do you have a plan?" Basically you made it very clear that you were expecting something epic for your "golden" birthday. I hope that we were able to deliver. We surprised you with a trip to St. Louis with just us and Mary Alice, no babies...thank you, Oma!
We stayed two nights in a hotel, with a pool. We did the Science Center, the City Museum, the Arch, a double feature drive-in (which brought us through East St. Louis at 1:00 am... thumbs down Siri, major thumbs down!), lights and fire show, Union Station and ended with an ice cream sundae that required ALL of our attentions! By the time we made it home you were begging for fruit and regular food! HA... I think we did alright on this golden birthday experience.
The whole time we were gone you were simultaneously thankful we were not carting the babies with us and also describing the things about the babies you were missing and talking about how much they will love whatever we were doing when they get older. Silas, you are the greatest big brother to our babies. They adore you. They think you are the most fun and seek you out whenever you are close by. You love them fiercely and it is a joy to watch you with them.
You continue to be adventurous and fun and wicked funny. Though over the course of this year you have also made some noticeable shifts in maturity. You seek the "shock value" less often and we are all okay with this change.
| "Stand up straight." |
Reading has become more of a first alternate to screens and this warms my literary heart! Thank you Fablehaven! We do need to continue working on your summary skills... this is be a cross-curricular growth area. Whenever you are explaining a story, Minecraft ANYTHING, Lego structure, etc. you suddenly have an unlimited quantity of words and sounds and time. Eleven seems like a solid year to tighten up on these explanatory narratives. Just a thought...
| You had to have a picture with the ever growing wasp nest. |
| Is there any other way to get down... nope! |
Silas, when I say you are funny, I mean like really funny! You have us out-loud laughing all the time and often at unexpected moments. I love sneak-attack funny! It does however, appear as though you are also entering into the inevitable learning curve of those who are funny, where they have to beat their heads against the Appropriate/Inappropriate Wall... this wall encompasses: subject matters, timing, location, audiences... You will walk into this wall, you will run into the wall, you will jump head first into this wall, but you will learn. Best of luck to you son, you're gonna need it!
| This was your suggestion of portrait locations. |
| Always in motion! |
I love you so very much! My sweet, fun, smart, loving Sy-Boy! I honestly enjoy being your mom and am looking forward to more interesting fun with you!

