To be perfectly honest I have been dreading this birthday in a big way. Not because Jonah is ten. I LOVE watching my babies grow and bloom into amazing people. I have dreaded this day because Jonah left today for Oklahoma. At 8:15 this morning Jonah got in a van with his teammates and coaches. Notice how I did not include parents in that sentence. At the brand new age of ten Jonah left for his first weekend trip with no parents. My heart has been in a panic since I waved good-bye to him this morning. He was a little nervous, but excited. I felt the same. Crazy this parenting business!
On this day when I get to celebrate my first baby boy I can only smile and wish he was here to love on all day long. Jonah is a crazy, silly boy. He loves to be active and is in constant motion. That holds true 100% of the time unless he is reading. I am pretty sure the only thing Jonah loves more than gymnastics is Harry Potter. Second to those activities is games on his Kindle.
His heart is huge. He loves crazy hard....sometimes too hard and I really have to ask him not to hug me so hard. That's awful right, but it hurts! Jonah is not an outwardly emotional person except for the few times he is. When that happens....the smile, the joy, or the sorrow are so evident to all. He keeps things pretty locked down and I know it is my mission as a mother to stay firmly rooted in his mind and heart so I can help him navigate the rough world of emotions. Jonah doesn't always know what to do with his feelings, but he tries. Those big blue eyes get me every time whether they are smiling or crying.
Gymnastics is his first love. He loved it in our living room as soon as he could walk. He has loved it more each year since he first began in 2008. He bounds into the gym every day. He hates and I mean hates to be away from the gym for too long. It really starts to stress him out after about two weeks away. Thankfully that doesn't happen much because it is hard for us all. I guess it is appropriate that on his birthday weekend Jonah gets to spend all day tomorrow and part of Sunday at a regional gymnastics clinic. It is an amazing opportunity to workout with coaches from around the country in an effort to better his skills for the upcoming season. He is truly lucky to have Bill as his coach!
What else do I love about my Jonah G? He is smart. A little too smart sometimes. His brain is like a sponge. Even when you think he isn't paying a bit of attention, he can repeat all the information when asked. Reading and learning and school make him happy. That makes me happy and I really pray that those three things always fall into the "smile" category for Jonah. Jonah loves babies and toddlers. Ketchup and Ranch dressing are his two favorite condiments in the world. He hates most meat except of ground beef. Sloppy Joes, tacos, and meatloaf are probably his favorite three dinners. He hates the color pink. We all like to mess with him a little about his strong hate for pink. Jonah has a lot of self-confidence....maybe too much at times?! He likes to help Drew in his shop, but only for about 30 minutes and then his ability to focus is gone. The same is true for baking, which he likes. Jonah is definitely the walking definition of needing a new activity every 20-30 minutes. He is kind. He is helpful. His siblings annoy and pick on him unmercifully most days, but he loves them. He tries so hard to be patient with Elena. Jonah is brave and fearless. Jonah is just Jonah!
Because Jonah keeps his emotions and silly personality so closed off at times I made this fun poster for his birthday party. I wanted to share fun little facts about my Jonah and he really liked it!
He had so much fun celebrating his birthday with his friends last weekend. It was a last minute party so the theme was "10". There were 10 toppings for the tacos and the cupcakes.
We celebrated Jonah last Sunday. His big present was an iPhone. I realized he wouldn't be able to call us from OK and hence the phone. He was so excited!
This morning he had his birthday ice cream for breakfast. I had to remind him to wipe his mouth twice and then I finally did it. I worry that he will have a dirty face for the next three days. He is so grown up at times and such a little boy other times. I guess that is really what being 10 is. Jonah wants to be all big cool I don't need help boy, but playing Imaginex or Pokemon is still really cool too! He is living the best of two worlds at the moment with great chances to be a little kid and learning moments to be responsible.
I told everyone this morning it was his birthday. T texted so many people his new number so he could get birthday wishes all day long. I want him loved on all day since I can't do it!
Happy 10th Birthday Jonah!!!! It was my turn to give you a crazy hard hug!!! Love you so much!!!
