Joe turned 11 this spring and despite the fact that he hit double digits when he turned ten, he and Ben still insisted that this is his double digit birthday. What they meant was that the digits were the same...like his next double digit birthday will be when he is 22 and then 33, etc. It was a debate that lasted days! No winners, just different opinions.
Joe kicks off the birthday craziness for the next several weeks. Sometimes it gets harder and harder to come up with something that won't feel usual for breakfast (especially as I get more and more tired and don't make it to the grocery store the night before!) Mr. Potato Head came through though.
We teased him that there was a striking resemblance!
Eleven years old...5 ft 3 inches, 120 pounds, size 14/16 clothes and size 9 shoes. 5th grade. The summer was full of golf, the fall with soccer, winter-wrestling and heading into spring we are back to soccer. You're a competitor for sure Joseph. I think if someone handed you pointe shoes and told you that to win you would need to last the longest on your toes, you would put a tutu on and go to it!
You share a room with your brother Ben and probably will until one of you goes to highschool. You're equally as messy so it's probably an ok roommate situation. Most of the time you are really good friends too, but sometimes opponents. It is a tie in the smelly feet department.
The tradition of breakfast in bed doesn't linger as long as it used to...especially as everyone is getting older. Sing happy birthday, take photo, run away and leave birthday person get ready for school! The tradition is still fun though and no one throws much of a fit about getting up to begin the celebration with their sibling.
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| Golf League Champs |
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| You got my dark skin. |
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| Waiting for stitches after ripping the skin under a toe from running on a gym mat! |
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| School music program. |
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| On a whim you decided to run a 5K with me and kicked my rear end. You were nice enough to run with me the first couple of miles, but then took off and ran your speed. |
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Halloween. "FCI" Federal Candy Inspector
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The other tradition that we have of celebrating with a cake in the evening continues to evolve as well...waiting for everyone to be home at the same time poses some challenges...I think it was approximately 9 pm when we were able to celebrate due to other practices going on until then.
Your cake was a peanut butter and chocolate layer cake with peanut butter filling and chocolate frosting. I am pretty sure you gave me about 9 options to choose from out of zero that I had ever made before and this one was a hybrid, but a pretty good one. Thanks for letting me get creative!
Happy Birthday dear Joseph. You are our favorite Joseph in the world and we are so glad you were born!
