14 the second

Today is Sam’s 14^th Birthday. I really needed another one of those annual reminders for me to freak out about just where all the time went. As I left for work this morning Sam came and gave me a hug as I wished him Happy Birthday. The fact that he was looking eye to eye served notice as well. Not long now until he’ll be taller than me.

So, what to say about Sam at 14. Something that he can look back on and be proud of or something for him to look back at and blush? The reality is that the latter would probably be hard to come up with because he’s such a good kid.

Sam marches to the beat of his own drum, taking on what he wants to and pursuing it with diligence and skill. He took up volleyball last year, something none of the others have shown and interest in. He also started playing tennis, but in his own Sammy way, only played non-competitively. I was encouraged to hear him say this year that he was going to play competitively. Saturday just gone was his first ever competitive match and he walked away victor in both his singles and doubles. Yes, I am very proud.

Through the winter Sam played soccer and did well but also took on something else of a non-traditional sport for the Temby tribe – table tennis. Not only did he give it a go, but held down the A4 position and was part of a team that went through their entire season undefeated, an epic achievement.

Outside of his sport he has continued to work hard at the scholastic side of life with rewards to match the effort. He has a nice group of friends and is the person most likely to be asked for when the phone rings on a weekend. Or you could find him setting up a server for minecraft or occasionally doing his own thing in the yard.

I set the kids a challenge earlier this year to see how much they could improve their soccer juggling skills. For each 10 juggles they achieved they’d get a mars bar (only the first time they got a number mind you). Sam was the one that took it most to heart. I don’t know if it was representative of his love of chocolate or just the challenge. I like to think it was the latter. Within a month he’d managed to beat my record and worked up to something in the order of 80 juggles. It was great to see him disappear out in the yard and just go for it over and again.

He still hasn’t come to terms with the fact that wearing long pants isn’t going to see the end of the world hastened and would be happiest if the entire world only wore shorts, but we’re getting through that and he’ll at least wear them when informed there really is no other option.

It should be noted that Sam is still the child ‘most likely to react to his sister’ but I think deep down he really does love her. After all, he makes her lunch (and that of his brothers) every day!

As noted before, I am very proud of Super Sam and particularly enjoy the fact that even at 14 he’s not adverse to giving the old man a hug.

Happy Birthday Sam.

12 the third

Thomas is 12; the last of the boys in his last year before becoming a teenager. There is only one more year until we have three of them in the house. In four more years we’ll have to survive a year of four teenagers. Heaven forbid.

Thomas continues to be very much Thomas. I know that sounds kind of lame, but like all kids, he really does have his own personality and it means something to me. Thomas is the child in the family I would deem most likely to be the class clown.

Thomas decided this year that he’d like to play club soccer and so we took him out to Plympton Bulldogs where he played in their under 12 team. It has been great for him. He’s come a long way in terms of his confidence on the field and played some really good games of football, even if it was something of a task to make sure that he got to training and games each week!

Thomas still retains his capacity for deep thought, surprising me every now and then with a question about the more serious side of life. He’s a thinker, even if most of the thought is consumed in coming up with ways in which to be funny.

Thomas’ speech has come a long way from the early days of his development and its rare now that I feel the need to stop and get him to repeat what he’s said. I am so proud of how hard he’s worked through his whole life to date to get to where he is with it that I just can’t put it into words any better than that.

Thomas is also perhaps the child most likely to compromise, sometimes caught between being in the younger pairing with Emily or wanting to be one of the boys. He generally retains his sense of humour though occasionally, just every now and then decides he’s had enough and that someone else should have a turn at taking one for the team!

I dearly enjoy the time that I get to spend with Thomas and am as proud of him as I am of all the kids.

Happy Birthday Thomas.