Tyler's 11!

Yesterday Tyler turned 11. He had a great day...even if he did have to go to school! Tyler was quite excited about his gift. He got a Leopard Gecko. A month or so ago he wrote us a persuasive essay on why he should get a gecko as a pet (we are such mean parents.....we make our kids write essays if they want something that is different than the "normal" family regulations...we even make them do revisions until the paper is worthy of an "A".) So, Tyler's essay was good enough that he convinced us he could have his own pet at age 11 instead of age 12. And what 11 year old boy doesn't want a lizard for a pet? We'll see how he fares with it. Tyler also got Star Wars Legos--from grandparents and a Star Wars Monopoly game form his aunt and uncle. Obviously, he's also into Star Wars right now.

So now on to talking about my awesome son Tyler. He is truly awesome! And we love him dearly. He is so very important to our family. Tyler is our comedy relief. He is so witty and comes up with the funniest things right "off the cuff". I don't know how he does it, but we are sure glad he does. Just don't bring up any body functions around Tyler because, like a true 11 yr old, he loves potty humor.

Tyler is also quickly becoming the best skier in the family. By the end of this season he will pass up his father's abilities on the slopes. He's the only one that owns his own ski gear. He's already been up two times this year and is really lovin' it. This season he got a ski pass that the state of Utah does for 5th graders. We had to pay $15 for the passport which allows him to ski free at each of Utah's ski resorts twice. So, he is already planning on getting a lot of time on the slopes this year. I need to take photos of him though, I don't have any of him decked out in his gear yet. He also loves the mountains in the summer. He really enjoys hiking with his dad and has quite an endurance for it.

Tyler is also a pretty classic "middle child". The poor kid has to deal with the "oldest", the "only girl", and the "baby". He also was the one affected the most by our move to Utah. He had an amazing set of friends in AZ and it took him awhile to find a good set of friends here, but he finally has. In fact, I believe I am going to have a fairly large group of those friends here on Saturday. Friends and video games are Tyler's two favorite things and it's the best when he can mix the two! Tyler is a smart kid, amazing at math and reading. However, school doesn't top his list of favorites..it's just something he tolerates.

So, Tyler is a great kid all around. I am thankful he is one of my hatchlings!