A few snippets of what Isaac is like as a nine-year-old boy:
- This boy is highly (highly!) motivated by money. He loves earning money and spending it even more. Right now his pursuits usually involve some sort of wii game he's saving up to buy.
- Isaac is very patient with his little brother, Nathan. Right now their favorite game is what they like to call "Yoshi-back rides." Thanks Super Mario Bros. It is essentially a piggy-back ride with Nathan clinging to Isaac's back all while Isaac runs rampant through the house.
- The other morning I was finishing up exercising when Isaac came down for breakfast. He caught me griping as I was finishing my last round of jump squats. "Mom?" he asked, "Are these exercises really that hard for everyone or is it just because you are so old?"
- I can get him to do any chore under the sun for a little bit of video game time. Incidentally, since buying the Wii for Christmas, I fold MUCH less laundry than I used to. It's glorious.
- I walked in on him taking a bath the other day and he immediately asked me to leave, exclaiming that it was "humiliating" for me to see him that way.
- Isaac is a good friend to the underdog. He seems to often seek out the child without many other friends, or the kid who just moved from a different country and doesn't speak English yet. His teacher told us recently that he is always polite and always kind to everyone. This makes me very happy.
- He teases Davis and Maddie to no end. Especially Davis. He convinced Maddie some time ago that there was a new Ivy and Bean book that just came out (a series of early-reader chapter books about two best friends). "Really?" she exclaimed, since she had finished what she thought was the entire series. "Yes," he assured her, "It's called, Ivy and Bean: Friendship Ends."
- He played on a community basketball team this past winter and now he wants to play basketball all the time.
- Isaac is a thinker. He plans and processes things and considers outcomes of situations before they take place. He lays out his clothes every night so that he can wake up and quickly get dressed and be the first one down to breakfast. He is never ever late.
- Ike will eat anything. Anything. You'll hear murmurs of complaint with a short list of foods: sweet potatoes, zucchini, and any other type of squash. He still loves pizza, orange chicken, hot dogs, blackberries, avocados, and Cesar salad.
- He loves spending time outside exploring, playing basketball, and running.
- We love you so much Isaac. Our family wouldn't be complete without you.
 |
| Yoshi-Back riding. |
 |
| Outside adventuring. |
 |
| Blowing out his trick candles. |
 |
| Church in Bangor. I learned that I should double-check my kids' bags when I let them pack for themselves. Maddie forgot dress shoes, Isaac had only warm-up pants, and Davis only brought T-shirts. |
