I made the rookie mistake of putting the unopened snacks for the whole party on a table in the living room. The boys opened them up and finished nearly all of them off before lunch. I managed to race in to save just one bag! We served a taco bar for lunch and spaghetti for dinner which thankfully assuaged most of their hunger so they didn't quite eat us out of house and home.
He wanted a donut cake with donuts from his favorite donut shop, which even had some gluten-free varieties for one of his friends.
We decided we're not going to host any more movie marathons for his friends; they eat far too much.
First Son very generously decided to forego any birthday presents at his party; he asked his friends to make a donation in his honor to a local charity instead.
On his birthday proper, Kansas Dad made him a pancake as big as his head. It's getting harder!
Favorite movies: Thor Ragnarok (really any recent Marvel movie), any Star Wars movie, Moana (He loves the evil crab.)
He received a movie theater gift card for his birthday and already has plans to take a friend to see the new Blank Panther movie as soon as he can.
First Son loves all things Star Wars. He dressed as Kylo Ren for Halloween, though he didn't go trick-or-treating this year. Instead, he and some friends got together for candy-poker. He ate most of his winnings, though. He is eerily like Kylo Ren in the costume, especially when he talks because his voice is spot-on.
He's also obsessed with the Marvel superhero movies. I think he's seen them all now. (Not that I'm necessarily recommending them to everyone out there with kids; they are definitely not "family-friendly.")
Favorite video games: Pokemon video games, Lego video games (except for Lego Friends; because you can't destroy stuff in Lego Friends), Super Mario video games, Donkey Kong video games
He enjoys video games and is saving up for a Nintendo Switch. He also wants to be able to make YouTube videos of his gaming to share with his friends, so he's investing in some equipment and practicing his video-voice.
He and some of his friends have recently discovered Pokemon, so that's been a fun new past-time. Sometimes they even get together and have tournaments, but usually he plays with his brother.
Favorite board games: Munchkin (warning: not for all families), King of Tokyo, Star Wars Trivial Pursuit, Monopoly, chess
He's so tremendously good at Star Wars Trivial Pursuit that we have to handicap him. If he gets a wedge, his turn is over. Opponents get two questions before we hand over the dice.
Last year, he and the other kids shared their Star Wars Disney Infinity collection at one of the local library branches. He wrote out all the cards, a paragraph describing the collection, and arranged everything in the display case.
It's hard to get a serious picture of the boy even when he's showing off injuries.
He's a strong and steady hiker, willing to follow Kansas Dad's lead over hill and badland. We want to get him a backpack and backpacker's sleeping bag so he and Kansas Dad can really get out into the wilderness. None of those campgrounds for them!
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| Badlands National Park |
Favorite foods: sushi, pierogi, ham and potato chowder, chicken enchiladas
Really he likes everything he's ever eaten except yogurt and cheesy lentils. He even eats the zoodles and tuna casserole with enjoyment. Not salads so much, though. Those are just endured.
Favorite candy: big Reese's (greater peanut butter to chocolate ratio), chewy or gummy candies
Every Wednesday, our parish hosts a dinner for the middle school and high school students before their religion classes. We always eat as a family before he goes, so he helps himself to second dinner there. If he can convince his friends they're not hungry, he eats their dinners, too.
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| The fruits of picture study |
First Son is in eighth grade now. He's thinking about being an engineer, a cartoon artist, or an engineer-cartoon artist. His favorite cartoons are Calvin and Hobbes, The Far Side, and Pearls Before Swine.
His favorite lessons: math (Life of Fred beginning algebra) and science (currently a twentieth-century science course including quantum mechanics, electricity, and computers)
His least favorite lessons: composition and Latin (the bane of schoolboys for centuries)
His favorite books: What If? (which we finally bought for him for his birthday and were delighted to discover the inside of the dust jacket and cover are full of illustrations), Harry Potter series, Thing Explainer, Narnia series
He is a red belt in taekwondo and has no plans to quit before he's got a black belt. A few months after his birthday, he tested for his black tip which means he's only one test away from a black belt. One test and a lot of practicing.
Every Sunday, he volunteers in the church nursery so parents of young children can adult our adult faith formation or RCIA classes. The kids adore him; he's big and silly and non-threatening, because he never tries to pick them up.
He's already talking about driving which is frightening to me on so many levels!
May God bless First Son in his fifteenth year!
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