My 9 Loves of Eli

My 9 Loves of Eli at Nine Years of Age: 

1. The way your eyes grow big and full of delight when you have something to share with me that interests you.  I may not even know much at all of what you are telling me about, but I want to listen to you and watch you feel excited and engaged.  Whether it's about Pokemon or NitroType or your secret detective agency, I love when you find things that make you happy and you want to tell me more so I can learn about them, too.

2. How I can make you bust out into wild giggles when I come in for a tickle fight!  You are still extrememly ticklish and it is the funnest thing ever to get you going!  Your laugh is one of my favorite sounds.

3. When you hold hands with Clara or offer Ezra to come snuggle with you.  You have such a soft, gentle caring side.  You know that both of your siblings ADORE you, and more so than in the past you better accept their love.  At times walking places together you and Clara will walk ahead and you'll talk to her about all kinds of things while you walk hand in hand.  If Ezra happens to wake up before you leave in the mornings he'll come over and try to get a good cuddle in.  Sometimes if you're reading on the couch you'll say, "Ezra, you can snuggle my feet."  Haha!

4. That you'll give me a great big hug before you go to bed each night and when you leave for school in the morning.  Our time together one-on-one in the evening is so important and special to me.  Even though you get to bed way too late, I love soaking up time to visit with you and read to you without the other kids pulling on my attention.  In many ways you require less from me, but I don't want you to feel that you aren't receiving enough.  After our connecting time at night you always go to bed cheerily once you've given me a good long hug.

5. That you enjoy organizing your things that are important to you. You definitely leave messes of books, applesauce cups, and clothes everywhere you go.  But your bookshelves, desk, closet and dresser drawers (at least the ones that hold things, not clothes, are immaculately organized.  You treasure your treasures and have a place for everything.

6. You share cool facts and information that you've learned with us.  It's amazing all that you remember!  I love how much nonfiction you read and that you really do love to learn and find out why things happen and how they happen.

7. You have a great sense of humor.  Ever the prankster!  Having something to laugh about always helps to lighten the mood.  

8. You are a master card game player.  You especially love playing Monopoly Deal, Cover Your Assets, and Golf with your Grandpa Metheny (while you lay the trash-talk on thick!).  You enjoy strategy and being sly.

9. You love literature. It made you pretty stoked to finally get your own library card!  Now one of your favorite activities is riding your bike to the library by yourself or with a buddy to take back/check out books all on your own!  Every.single.time we visit a park you beeline first to the little free library box to see if there's anything to read.  If there is you first sit and read until I finally get you to get up and move your body!  While you choose books mostly for their fun/excitement appeal such as all of the classic Hardy Boys and the Warriors series, you happily sit for me to read good literature to you, such as Little House on the Prairie and Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH.  You always take a book to bed and even sneakily use "I have to go to the bathroom" as a chance to stay up later and read where there's a brighter light!  Dad even opened the door to you reading while taking a bath last week!  While Dad thinks it's a problem, I think it's a GREAT problem to have!