Double Digits

Hip Hip Horray!!!!

Christopher Pruett is double digits.

Christopher had a great time with lots for friends. We hosted a football party for his friends and their families. They played football for a couple of hours and then headed inside to eat. We converted our Great Room into a concession stand that served hot dogs, nachos, chips, containers of apple sauce, tea and lemonade. Christopher did not want a cake, but opted for hot chocolate served with 5 dozen Krispy Kreme donuts instead. My husband, John, also picked up hats that he forced upon the guests if they wanted their donuts. Christopher was so excited by all this gifts: Legos, a handmade pottery army tank, gift cards and cash. True to his sweet nature and mathematical mind, he instantly calculated the tithe on his birthday loot. :-) Enjoy the picture sprinkled among my musings.



Because of our family size, we usually restrict birthdays to family events, occasionally inviting another family to join in. However, we have chosen to celebrate milestone birthdays (6, 10, 13 and 18--sometimes 16) with a bang. We invite several families or lots of friends. These ages seem to be the passage to natural social changes.



At six, they realize that they are separate from the family, in the family, but also an individual. At six, they suddenly want to ride their bikes just a few feet past the mail box or realize they can take baths all by themselves. At ten, they realize that not only are they individuals, but that they want to create associations of their own. I call this the season of "clubs" because out of the blue, they begin organizing themselves around a theme (girls only, art club, horse club, etc.) or a cause like missionary club. This effort is typical, but not always smooth sailing. There are bumps along the way as the pecking order is established of who will reign. ;-)



To further complicate the matter, the need for a best friend emerges and it can be quite a challenge to work this out. In our home, boys seem less affected than girls, but it plays out nonetheless as they become more aware of the various degrees of friendship. They start to say funny things like, "Well, she was my best friend last week, but I am going to let so and so be my best friend this week," or maybe, "Well, he is my best friend at football and the other boy is my best friend at church." The challenge is when both best friends are in the same [place at the same time and a strange uncertainty falls over the social networking.







I love how 10 year olds start to take dominion over the world around them. For the first time, they begin to understand cause and effect. Suddenly things start to make sense and they are wide-eyed all over again with a multitude of "Aha!" moments. They start to think more seriously, although sometimes far fetched notions, of what they will do when they grow up. They try on all sorts of "hats." They explore the possibilities and enjoy the tail end of pretending. They begin to hunger for heros and attach their identity to those they admire.




It seems that they are programmed to squeeze the adventure out of their childhood and slowly take hold of the new privileges and responsibilites to come. I treasure this season when childlike faith and believing meets skill and ability and ambition. I am energized (and sometimes worn out, lol) by what seems to be endless ideas and possibilities, "And then we could do this, and then we can do that, and then we could build a castle in the back yard, and then . . . ."

Happy 10th Birthday Christopher!

Welcome to the Adventure!!!!!!