Happy 11th birthday boys!

Today my boys you turn 11.  It’s a scary thought, because you’re growing up so fast, and in the very near future you will be young men, not young boys.

And while I’m excited to see what you will do, I also want to hold onto my little boys for dear life.

Batman

You are my peace-making middle child.  But that doesn’t perfectly describe you because you are quite happy to pick at your sister until she screams at you.

You are a diligent hard worker, I know if I need help and you can give it, you will without a second thought.  Hold onto that trait it will serve you well in the future, and you will be an amazing husband and father because of this trait someday.

You are my thinker, at times I am amazed at the connections you will make in history or science.  You love to listen to history lessons and learn more.  When we are alone in the car together you ask to listen to History of Rome or some other podcast to learn more, though the last few times it’s been relistening to the Belgariad.

Last year we introduced you to cooking, and you have found a true passion for it.  You study the cookbook you got for your birthday last year and spend much time figuring out exactly what you want to cook.  Right now your plan is to be a cook when you grow up, and I think you will be an excellent one.

Superman

I wrote about you second this time my boy.  I figured Batman deserved a chance to be first every once in a while, especially since you are less than 5 minutes older than him.

You are my quirky child.  There are many times when life is getting too serious, and you’re making faces and being silly to get a laugh.  I love that about you, most of the time.  There’s also those times where I want you to just finish your work before being silly, but in all honesty you mostly will settle down to get it done.

For all your silliness, you are amazingly quick at science and math.  You love to get those done because it helps you prepare for your current plans for a job someday.

I’ve been amazed because for the longest time you’ve said you wanted to be an inventor, none of that fireman or policeman for you, you have wanted to be an inventor for as long as I can remember, and now you’re thinking of how you can take steps to do that.  You are learning about inventors, and what it takes to be one.  You plan to interview people we know who are inventors, and learn how you might do that.  You’re also trying to invent stuff, much to my amusement and frequent chagrin.  The squirt gun from a gatorade bottle didn’t work out quite the way you wanted, but you keep trying.  You’re currently trying to invent a bank, I’m not quite sure what kind of bank, but a bank.  You’ve cut up cardboard, used large amounts of blue tape, and are happily working during your 5 minute breaks on this.

My hopes for this coming year

I looked back at my hopes and goals for the last year for you two and they all came true.  Both of you can cook a meal from a recipe, and regularly ask to.  We leave you home alone on a regular basis, and you do wonderfully, though you might give me a scare in the after reports from time to time.  You have come up to every expectation I have had of you with grace and aplomb.

School will continue to get harder for you.  As you learned yesterday, I will no longer even look at papers I struggle to read, and you accepted it with no complaints.  I will continue to challenge your writing and expect more of you.  I’d say I expect more of your math, but you continually amaze me in that area, these past few weeks you’ve zoomed through 1-2 weeks of math each week.  It’s quite impressive.

In non-school related life, we are working together to have better control of your emotions.  You both feel things so deeply, it can be hard to keep control, but I know you can.

As I think on things, I don’t have any particularly big new goals and hopes, it’s more of an increase in what we expected from you last year.  Though, I think by the end of this year you will be sharing one night of cooking dinner each week.  Maybe more often if you want.

Prior birthday letters

• Happy 10th birthday Superman and Batman
• Happy birthday boys (9)
• Happy birthday Superman and Batman (8)
• Superman and Batman are SEVEN
• My boys turn 6
• Batman and Superman turn 5
• Batman an Superman turn 4