TBT: 7 Ate 9

Do you know why six is afraid of seven?  Because seven ate nine!

Do you know why I never managed to blog about Adam's 8th birthday last year?  Me neither.  According to Instagram, I had good intentions:

I am pretty certain I had more pictures on my computer that got stolen in September, but one thing I've come to be really grateful for is the auto-backup feature of cell phone picture taking that preserved one full-dragon shot for me.

I wish I had the pictures of the family at our favorite Thai restaurant: MeKong Cafe.  I feel pretty proud to be the mother of a child who chooses Thai for his birthday dinner!  I also wish I had any other specific memories of the birthday or subsequent party.  But that's what I get for not blogging it right away!  :(

So I'm doing better this year.

Four weeks ago, Adam turned nine.  He requested a "Cyprus" cake this year in honor of his first football season as a Cyprus Pirate.  Although he still feels a bit lukewarm about the sport itself, the football banquet with all its assorted team branding has given him a healthy amount of Cyprus pride.  I knew he'd be expecting a football cake, but that seemed too easy, and I really wanted to surprise him.  So I went a different direction:

He was a perfect combination of surprised and delighted, especially when he realized his Cyprus Pirates cake came with a piratey addition to his beloved Disney Infinity collection.  (Thanks, Kirk, for that perfectly correlated gift addition.)

We also continued what he's requested become a birthday tradition: dinner at MeKong Cafe.  Not only does the birthday boy love the taste of what my family calls "Crying Tiger," (it's actually Thai barbeque beef, but its Thai name literally translated - according to Thai missionary Grandpa Casdorph - is crying tiger) but the sort of vegetarian redhead even eats the grilled pork.   

As for the birthday boy himself, he's gearing up to play baseball, joined the chess club at school, and touts science as his favorite subject (because he gets to do experiments).  He spends most of his free time visiting the new house or being the best cousin ever.  (I wish I could add "being the best brother ever," but his bossy streak runs a mile deep, and he's pretty much always pestering someone.)

He is quite proud of the fact that he's taller than my shoulders now, and I'm quite proud of the fact that he hasn't yet outgrown liking to hang out with me.  The day after his birthday, he got to be my date to Casey at Bat, a show I was reviewing for UTBA, and we both enjoyed the show and the Cracker Jacks.  And a few weeks later when planning an "activity with a family member" in order to meet the requirements of a Faith in God goal, he asked me if I would like to go on a date with him.  We made lunch together (frozen burritos), then headed to the dollar theater to see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2.  I got the chance to talk to him one-on-one on the way to theater and was delighted when his questions turned to the subject of Joseph Smith and how he got to choose what church he went to.  (Adam was confused why one of his best friends couldn't continue to attend our ward after moving.  "Joseph Smith got to choose what church he went to...")

If I'm leaving behind an accurate, complete picture of this kid, I would also have to add:

• Whiny when tired
• Emotional all the time
• Can't remember to put his glasses on for the life of him
• Has to know the plan at all times
• Sloppy penmanship
• LOUD!

But all of that is balanced out by his sweet testimony, his nurturing personality, his quality school work, his responsibility, his helpful nature, his compassion, his athleticism, and his confidence.  Of all the nine-year-olds in the world, I am grateful Heavenly Father sent me this one.