happy birthday, Atticus!

Atticus is eleven today.  Eleven years old.  How, tho?

I still remember Baby Atticus, with his hilarious, lush hair; and Toddler Atticus, who crawled around like a cat named Murph for an entire year; and Preschool Atticus, who was obsessed with construction vehicles and whose favorite snuggly toy was a solid metal excavator that he even slept with.  I remember Early School Days Atticus, who threw a ball and made a basket, and instead of celebrating that he made it, he rejoiced that he 'did not miss.'  I remember Growing Atticus, who always cried when Todd would read the poem, "Hungry Mungry," because he got so angry that Hungry Mungry ate the Army.

I remember Thomas the Tank Engine on repeat when he had an ear infection and couldn't sleep at 4 a.m.  I remember him running around the living room with a wrapping paper tube, threatening to "poike yow eyes out with God's pwomises!"  I remember him spending hours digging a huge hole in the yard in Cedar Falls, and I remember him eating cherries straight off the tree and chives straight out of the garden.

And now he's eleven.  He scooped our driveway the last time it snowed, and used the nail gun when he helped me hang shiplap.  He wants to start a lawn care business so that he can start saving up for a pickup, so he doesn't have to drive the minivan when he starts learning to drive.  He wants a good wife and a bunch of kids when he grows up.

He is such a compassionate leader.  He looks out for the younger kids, and helps me so much.  He is always quick to apologize to us if he feels he has misbehaved or misspoken.  He is quiet and introspective, and has an incredible imagination.  He is much too hard on himself.  He has a heart for justice, and hates seeing bad people or things prevail when they shouldn't.  (Reading Greek myths often gets him so riled up he angry-cries, because those gods and goddesses have so much power and use it so vindictively!)  He would play alone for hours, if he were to ever find himself alone for hours, and he especially loves being outside.

He is soft and tough, rigid and yielding, quiet and vocal, compassionate and principled, old and young, a thinker and a doer.  He is growing up into such a multifaceted, fascinating young man, and we couldn't love him more or be prouder of who he is.  He is a joy to be around, and an honor to claim as our own.

Happy birthday to the one who first made me a mom, and who amazes me everyday with how he takes the little I offer and alchemizes it into something more incredible than I could ever take credit for.