Eleven

Whenever one of my children adds another year to their age, I sit and reflect on how quickly they have grown and how quickly the last year has passed by and I can’t believe that today my second eldest is eleven.  Eleven.  It sounds so grown up.  It’s not of course, he is still really young but it feels like he isn’t a child anymore.  He is heading so rapidly for the teenage years (in more ways than one) and it really does seem like five minutes ago that I was driving to the hospital in the snow for him to be born.

In celebration of eleven years, I decided to pick eleven words that describe him.

Sporty – R is Mr Sport.  He loves sport, he lives sport and he would be doing something sporty every second of the day if he could.  He plays football for a local team, he swims for the local swimming club, he does Tae Kwon Do and plays for his school football and rugby teams. He even pops back to his primary school twice a week to help coach the after school clubs.  Even at home, he will be regularly found kicking the life out of my cupboards with a football, doing sit ups or stretches.  The boy has to be moving all the time.

Determined – he is a fiercely determined young man.  This is a good thing unless you are trying to convince him to agree with you. He tackles life with a zealous determination that often amazes me and his commitment to his sport has proven that his determination to succeed is a good thing and I hope that this is a quality that will stay with him into adulthood.

Obsessive – whilst determination is a great thing, he can also become obsessive about things.  When he loves something, he loves it.  When he has an annoying habit, the annoying habit is constant.  When he is obsessed with something, it can be the cause of a lot of stress if he has to parted from it.  A good example of this is Minecraft.  He is OBSESSED with Minecraft and yes I know it is educational but he will not come off.  Apparently the battles in Minecraft are far more important than real life and this is the constant cause of many an argument.

Kind – one thing that I love about R is his kindness.  He has his moments of course, but for the majority of the time, he is a kind, caring and thoughtful boy.  He hates to see people sad and will always be there with a cuddle and a kind word for anyone who is upset.

Independent – the move from primary to middle school last year has really seen a change in his confidence and independence.  I was so proud to watch him settle into his new routine and make new friends.  He made the decision to make the most of the opportunities in the school and he has done; trying new clubs, getting involved in lots of activities and working hard.  He comes home and gets on with his homework without having to be told.  His fear of change and the unknown that overshadowed his first few years in school seem like a dim and distant memory and I am so proud of the independent young man he has become.

Argumentative – for all of the wonderful qualities that my son has, he is really can be the most pig-headed, argumentative devil of them all.  If he is right (which he always is of course) then you could have every argument under the sun and he will have a feisty retort.  He also has to have the final say in any and every argument which is infuriating.

Inquisitive – I did originally write nosey and then thought that maybe I was being too harsh.  He is naturally very inquisitive.  He listens to other people’s conversations constantly; especially mine and my husband’s when he is supposed to be sleeping.  He will then casually drop things into the conversation the following day and you know that he has heard something that he shouldn’t have.  He always has to know what is going on and will badger you into submission if he thinks there is something that he needs to know.

Vain – maybe it is the change of school, maybe it is the fact that he is starting to grow up, but this boy has a serious obsession with mirrors and windows and absolutely cannot walk past his reflection without stopping and messing with his hair.  I have to battle with him in the morning for the mirror as he takes a good ten to fifteen minutes doing his hair.

Clever – he is a hard-working young man and is doing really well at school but there is no doubt that he is clever.  He has an ability to do maths that I envy and unless he is doing French or English, I stopped offering to help him with his homework a long time ago as he is more capable than me to do most subjects.

Funny – R likes to make people laugh.  I think it is part of his caring nature that he likes to make people happy.  He loves playing the comedian but sadly he does not have a knack for telling jokes.  He spends ages trying to make up jokes that he thinks are hilarious and sadly they are usually awful.  We all end up laughing because they are so atrocious.

Cuddly – he does give the loveliest cuddles and even though he is growing up, he still likes lots of snuggles and I am very glad about that.  Long may that continue.

Happy birthday gorgeous boy, I hope you have an amazing day!