Linc is Nine!!

Linc's birthday was on Sunday, and on Monday morning he said he pinched himself to make sure he wasn't just dreaming about the day before - so I guess he had a pretty good day. He was a little bummed at first that he had to go to church on his birthday (this is, after all, the kid who when he heard about home schooling was wondering if"home churching" was an option), but when he realized he would be getting a treat from primary, he was okay. When he got home we had his favorite dinner: Salmon, pasta-roni, and peas. Then he had a lemon cake decorated like a basketball.

As a part of a newly established tradition, I'll fill you in on a few random facts you may not know about Lincoln:

1. He LOVES to read. He is currently working on the third book in the Eragon series.

2. He hates sleeping under covers. Over the past six months I think he has slept under his covers once, and that was because he was sick.

3. Linc has a great voice - but you have to catch him singing when he doesn't know you are listening or you will miss it.

4. Lincoln has an incredible knack for listening without you knowing it. On several occasions we have been trying to read scriptures only to find him goofing off or not paying attention. When we try to call him on it and ask him to tell us what we just read, he will do it - verbatim. It can be a bit frustrating when we are trying to make a point and it falls flat. :)

5. Lincoln loves to stay up late and get up early - sleep just seems to be a waste of time in his mind! Maybe when he is a teenager he will change his mind about this one.

6. Linc loves listening to his dad's 80's music. One of his favorites? "Eye of the Tiger" from Rocky.

7. He is quite a swimmer - last year he tackled the Butterfly stroke. It may not be perfect, but when I asked him if he was ready he replied in classic Lincoln fashion, "yeah...it's good to try new things, right mom?"

8. He and Tessa have a special bond. It is funny to watch them together. Tessa is protective of Sam, adores Emma as another caregiver, but it is Lincoln who she plays with. They are buddies.

9. Lincoln has the most tender heart. He will bound down the stairs each morning to make sure he hugs dad before he leaves for work, will hug and kiss his mom every morning before leaving for school (even if she has had to nag him to get him going in the morning), and will never say a harsh word to Tessa. He is a normal kid who has normal sibling interactions with his older sister and younger brother, but that's another story!

10. Finally, he says he is going to be an engineer when he grows up because he loves to build things, and he really has a knack for math. He loves lengthy building projects and will sometimes spend hours at a time working on Lego or Kinex projects.

You are an amazing kid, and we love you Lincoln! Happy ninth birthday!