Happy 9th Birthday Oliver Finn!

Oliver Boliver you are NINE! Happy Happy birthday to my apple eating, tornado of a boy who loves his sister, baseball, soccer, SCHOOL!, reading Rick Riordan books, riding his bike, helping out with projects, five minutes of funny animals a day, the NYT daily puzzles, asking if he can have a treat, making noise, and bouncing, throwing and spinning balls.

This year you:

-backpacked in the Tetons

-picked up your first book series (Percy Jackson) and DEVOURED it.  

-went to your first Kraken game with Dad

-started taking piano lessons from OJ

-went on your first cruise to Alaska and fell in love with Strawberry Daiquiris

Oliver you are a bundle of energy. You are definitely my mini-me and we share the same propensity to want to be the center of attention and doing something ALL. THE. TIME. It's probably the reason why the two of us can frustrate each other SO much AND how I feel the need to protect you from other people because I know JUST how you're feeling and why you do the things you do. Just a few months ago we were struggling fiercely with your tantrums and stubborn fits that resulted in a lot of changed family plans because of them, but that seems to have been a phase that (fingers crossed) I hope we are out of.

You have absolutely LOVED school this year.  I think you are in the perfect classroom and have finally grown into your own scholarly phase.  You're SO bright and challenged this year that I think it's keeping that smart brain busy and curious, which I love to watch from across the hallway (close...but not too close, amiright?).  Mrs. Rucks gets credit for introducing you to Percy Jackson which you have devoured and it's the first series you've read on your own from beginning to end.  Since October, you have picked up as many Rick Riordan books as you possibly could get your hands on (it's a good thing there are a WHOLE BUNCH) and will CHOOSE to read on the couch sometimes or tell us you're really looking forward to reading before bed. I am so happy you've learned to love a good book and have hope that you'll continue to love it as you get older (and, let's be honest, are finally old enough to enjoy some really juicy books).  You are such a responsible student in your classroom and have only been in trouble once or twice for using that stubborn streak of yours to demand you are right (over the teacher).  I know you are loved and cared for and your brain is stretched and I love to hear you say how much you love school and learning.

Your closest friends are still George and Jaxon although you have added a few good friends this year that are kind and helpful and fun and I love seeing you branch out and grow your circle.  You had the BEST birthday party (truly, it was probably mom's favorite one we've ever hosted) with George, Jaxon and Angelo at our house this past Saturday where you and Dad taught them how to play Pokemon and the four of you happily played for TWO hours without a break at our dining room table.  You all ate your way through many bags of chips and drank SO many Italian Sodas, but it was delightful.

Baseball and soccer are still your greatest loves and you want to be a famous baseball player when you grow up.  Based on the amount of time you're willing to go outside and practice when it's NOT a mandatory practice...this is not likely.  But you are a STRONG athlete and things still come easily to you.  This year you are playing in the baseball minors, which means you are the absolute youngest on your team (many of your teammates are two years older than you).  I think it's great for your development to play up and have a chance to not be the best.  Dad is coaching your team (the Banana Slugs) this year and I'm so glad you get the opportunity to spend time together.  Last fall, he also coached your soccer team, but it was filled with kids your age and younger and...they weren't the most focused of athletes.  You were asked by another team to come and play with them in the post season and you enjoyed that so much.  I hope you can play with some of the same kids this coming fall.

Zoë continues to be your favorite playmate.  Though the two of you have had more tiffs lately than in the past, you two still flock to each other and love playing all sorts of things (two-square out on the deck, Samantha, Samantha and Laura, basketball up in the upstairs hallway, any game and she still allows you to sleep in her room with her). You certainly know how to push her buttons and she sure has a short fuse when you do, but you're kinder to each other than not, so I'll take it.

Most of all, you have such a tender heart for animals, bugs, plants, most humans (most of the time) and your family that I am ALWAYS proud that you are my son and so incredibly impressed with how you are growing as a human being.  I hope that you always keep your spark because that mischievous twinkle in  your eye is one of my favorite things. I love (hate) that you grab an apple at night when we are just starting our family book reading and crunch it LOUDLY from the couch right next to me.  I love that you ask questions within minutes of a movie starting and we have to remind you every time to WAIT AND YOU'LL SEE.  I love that just last night you said to me as I tucked you in "please can you snuggle with me? I love when you snuggle with me."

I hope you stay fun and funny and full of mischief.  I hope you love to be busy and love that I'll be a part of whatever I can in your life even if you roll your eyes (oh yes...I got one of those the other day about the "Oliver" baseball shirt I was wearing to your game and "was I going to wear that to school"?).  I love you to pieces and am so proud to be your mom.