Eleven!

It's hard when your babies were born before digital cameras really took off.  Makes it really hard to put pictures of these little sweeties on my blog!  Suffice it to say, Jack could not have been more adorable!  He started smiling at three weeks, and has had the greatest smile ever since.  He's got a great sense of humor and surprises me with his observations and thoughts.  Remember how worried I was about him going into middle school?  He's been just fine.  Of course. 

Jack (and John) worked really hard to squeeze in the last few requirements for his Webelos badge and Arrow of Light.  See me down there in the middle picture on the bottom row?  Total hippocrite, besides the fact I reminded him to go every week. 

{See that smile in that fuzzy picture? So cute!}

The next day he celebrated his birthday.  I made crepes, per his request, for breakfast.  I didn't plan a party for him, but told him he could invite more than one friend over to play.  He ended up with 5 friends over.  At the last minute I decided to ruin all our dinners and serve the ice cream cake. 

It may not be pretty but wow, did it taste good!  I made it myself, which may explain the lack of beauty there.  I crushed several (8 in fact, but that might have been 1 too many) Butterfinger candy bars, the big kind, not the snack size kind.  Then, I cut the ice cream in half and dipped it in the candyso it would be a double decker cake.  Probably not necessary, but again, wow, did it taste good!  Then I rolled that whole thing in the rest of the butterfingers.  Then, I put it in the freezer and breathed a sigh of relief when I opened up that freezer to find it had not slid all over the place.  So, I do want credit for making exactly what Jack ordered, even if it wasn't so pretty!
Jack also requested stir fry, which I can make decently enough, until I mess with success.  Turns out a little ice cream before a gross dinner makes up for it.  Presents didn't hurt either.

He got books, shocker shocker.  Then he got a clue...and another clue, and another clue and so on until he finally found the loot...a set of two air soft guns.  He has had a great time with them.  He took them with him on a trip to a friends cabin and they shot 1000 bb's in one day!  Good times, I guess. So, he's only 2 years away from being an official teenager, and only 1 year away from being a Deacon and passing the sacrament at church.  He loves going to scouts, doesn't complain as much as he used to about piano, showers every morning, and is a great kid!