Happy 11th Birthday Maddox!

Dear Maddox,

I cannot believe you are 11 years old! We were watching an old video of your two-year-old self saying your name ("Maddox Whoston") and I just cannot believe how fast these years are flying by!  You are doing awesome in 5th grade, getting all As for the first quarter of school and representing your class as a student council representative (such a great leader for your class and within our school).  I appreciate how well-behaved you are and see other 5th graders not making the right choices and continue to be thankful for your discernment and patience with your classmates.  Some of my favorite things to do with you right now are looking at old pictures and videos as we cuddle before bed, practicing your lines for our children's choir Christmas performance (that will be a whole separate post in December), discussing the books you are currently reading as you are practicing for the school's Battle of the Books team, going on car rides with you to soccer practices/games and cheering you on at each sporting event (right now you are currently playing all the positions in soccer and are such a leader on your team-- giving directions to teammates and following the coach's advice during the game, within the next month you will be getting back into basketball). You have finished all the verses in AWANA to successfully earn the Timothy Award at the end of the year (being the first fifth grader within your cohort to do this).  You continue to be a leader at church as well, helping as a media operator on Sunday mornings for the audio visual team. You recently ran for student council president and I loved that your speech focused on being a leader who is kind, encouraging, respectful and smart.  You shared how you would help get additional recess equipment for the playground areas and create a Book Buddy program to help students make new friends.  You have such a tender heart and continue to show empathy to others (sharing anything you have and helping to ensure others are having a good day).  You had a lot of sugar on your actual birthday- cinnamon rolls for breakfast in bed, ice cream and donuts (thanks to Sage having a birthday the same day) at lunch (and thanks to Grammy for bringing Chickfila since daddy had a meeting), ice cream with dinner at the Loop and donuts with your soccer team at the end of practice to finish out the day.  This year's birthday was on the same day of the week you were actually born.  I kept thinking about what I was doing that day, leading up to your birth.  As I waited for soccer practice to end, the moon was full and huge in the night sky.  I decided to research the name of this particular full moon.  It was called the "Hunter's Moon" (supermoon) and I thought I remembered there being a full moon on the night you were born.  Sure enough, after a quick Google search, there was a "Hunter's Moon" (supermoon) on that same day 11 years ago! The weather was perfect for your 11th birthday and I think you had a blast from start to finish!  You even got a surprise the night before your birthday with a Happy Birthday sign in our front yard (thank you Grammy).  I love how you still enjoy the magic and mystery of moments like this, spinning a whole story of how a fairy could have placed those letters out front like the tooth fairy still collects your teeth.  I want to soak up your childlike innocence for as long as possible. For your birthday celebration with friends this year, you decided to go to Partee Shack for unlimited miniature golf and go kart racing.  You invited four of your best buds (Junior, Beckett, Jackson and Austin) to help you celebrate #11.  I think this birthday will be hard to top but there is always next year! ;) I love you so very much and continue to be so grateful that God gave us YOU! 

Love, 

Mommy