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happy birthday jack!!!!!!!

my favorite two personality moments from his 8th year:

he decided to clean the water in their swimming area, and for over an hour proceeded to drag and haul the big strands of twined seaweed from the water far up onto the beach...
coming home one day from school i tell noah, 'look' and hold out his newly shorn persian, and he looks at me horrified, "what did you do? you ruined him. he looks naked!!" he ran off to his room really upset and it took some convincing, that xerxes was in fact still his cat and that you don't turn on your best friend because they have suffered a bad hair cut, and with that logic he scooped him up in his arms and squeezed him tight, willing the hair to grow back.

...happy birthday noah! first let me start off by saying that noah is the most genuine person i've ever known... there is more to noah than being adored as a first born... there isn't a false bone in his body. it's funny he looks all the part to be my clone... i can even see myself his exact age staring at me in the mirror at times... but deep down he's all his daddy... no fear of the unknown future, just turf to be tackled. it scares me that i can't imagine a bar high enough that this child will ever relent to reaching. people who spend any quality time with him are amazed at his ethics, intelligence, and unfailing compassion, and last mentioned but no less unwavering is his athletic ability... i'll never forget how his soccer coach this past season embraced him at the end and looked into my eyes and said, 'i've never known a boy like him, he doesn't fail... he can't.' and... how his three coaches holler at the other boys to do it like this: using noah as an example over and over for stem swings, push ups, and mushroom circles. i just smile politely when his teachers praise his every insight and take it upon themselves to find further standards for him to tackle grade levels ahead... i'd love to think it's something i've done right but in actuality there are just kids who are built to withstand any storm, hurricane, or imperfect parent. i'm so proud of him every day that the last nine years of knowing him etched into my heart an adoring admiration for my child. i'm not sure whose wedding i'll cry harder at his or rae rae's..... happy birthday noah! you are such a treasure! celebrate, you've earned it!