Matty is Eleven

Matty-Boy,

You are 11 now. ELEVEN. I never know which is harder to believe - that you are 11 or that your baby brother will turn 10 later this year. Yikes! The early days were slow but now the years are flying by.

I know that no matter how much I write about you, I will never capture your full essence (keep in mind that I am not a talented writer - I blog merely to capture/record my memories of you). You are such an easy kiddo, and I am so grateful for that. You are a good student, you have lots of friends (and admirers), and you excel in any sport you try. I am grateful that I do not have to worry about you like I worry about your sister and your brother. I get compliments from other parents and teachers often that you are a good and respectful child all the time. I am a proud momma.

At 11 years old, you are changing daily. I would not say that you have hit puberty yet, but you are close. Some days, you smell like onions, which means your sweat glands are developing and I have to remind you to change t-shirts and sweatshirts. I think you've had a growth spurt recently too. We'll find out when we go in for your 11-year well check. I was at one of your first Little League baseball games last month, and when you walked up to bat, I did not recognize you. You looked much taller and leaner than I expected. Don't get me wrong, you are still not tall for your age, but hopefully more growth is coming. You are also a silent leader. Kids look to you because you are quiet but cool. You also have the cutest smile and dimple that makes girls swoon over you. I don't blame them. I am proud of you because do not feel compelled to do stupid things for attention, you do not cuss (at least not that I've heard of), and you are kind to others. I sporadically read text messages between you and your friends (mostly group text threads), and I am shocked by some of the things your friends say. I am proud that you do not engage in that kind of behavior or talk over text threads, and I hope that your friends will see that and follow your example.

You have a quiet(er) demeanor than most boys your age. You are still a sneaky fox with your brother and sister. You try to get your licks in when I am not looking. You'll make a mean face at Brayden or nudge him purposefully when I turn my back. Then, when I catch you, you say that it's Brayden's fault and I always blame you. You play the middle child victim card very well. On the other hand, I know that your heart is sweet and full of love for your family. When I first told you about Taylor's eating disorder, you cried. The other day, Taylor suggested we pick up ice cream, and you seconded the suggestion. When you went to the store to buy the ice cream, you let Taylor pick out the kind of ice cream that she likes. When asked if you wanted to pick any out, and you said, "No, I have some at home. I just know that Taylor needs to eat."

Your best friends are Will Boone and Danny Katz. I found it fascinating that those were the first two friends you listed because I feel like you see them the least and do not play any sports with them. But I suppose you see them a lot at school. You are also close to Kyler Beppu, Blaine Richardson, and Lucas Park. In fact, you are having a birthday sleepover on 5/14 with those five boys. Other buddies include Nathan Piha, Finn O'Donoghue, Jack Burdick, Casey Condiotty, Blake Burris, Quinn Crumpacker, Carsen Brown and boys from your baseball team. You have no shortage of friends.

Your favorite colors are blue and purple. Your favorite food is Mexican and Chinese. I would argue that your favorite food is sugar. Your favorite sports are baseball, basketball, soccer, and flag football. You play less video games now and watch more YouTube videos of teens playing video games (I don't get it?). You still let me snuggle with you when we watch TV together, and you still give me great big hugs when we are not around others.  

I am not sure of your favorite vacation spot. We know you do not like Hawaii. You've gotten ear infections the past two times we've been there. You've also admitted that you are scared of tsunamis. I think your favorite vacation spot is any place we go with other families. You love to socialize. 

To my knowledge, you still have no interest in girls. There is a girl named Maddie in your class, and she swoons over you! Her mom told me so, and Maddie got really flustered when I told her that I am your mom a few weeks ago. It was really cute. 

When you grow up, you want to be a professional baseball player. You have no backup plan as of now. 

You woke up on your 11th birthday at Great Wolf Lodge. A few of us "5th grade boy moms" planned your own "5th Grade Camp" since your real camping trip was cancelled thanks to Covid. We let you miss school on Wednesday, 5/4 (a short day anyways) and Thursday, 5/5. It is safe to say that you had a great start to your special day. The moms stayed in one hotel room and the boys stayed in the room next door. You all had so much fun enjoying your independence. You roamed the water park and played in the arcade on your own for hours. What I found most entertaining is that in the evening, you boys intruded on the moms and our conversations every two minutes. You were in our room nonstop. It was like you wanted to be with us. We loved it. :) After returning home from GWL, we tried to go to dinner at Tokyo with the family, but the wait was too long. Brayden was not feeling well either (he and Tommy were in the ER until 3:00 in the morning due to a UTI), so we picked up Chipotle and Frosty Barrel and ate at home. It was not a super exciting dinner but I know you felt loved and celebrated. 

For your birthday this year, we gave you a new baseball glove (a really expensive one!). Grandma and Pop Pop gave you a new bat, and Mimi and Baba gave you a boardless skate board (which we will not let you play on until after baseball season).

Matty, you are entering the tween years, and I know our regular snuggles will become less regular. I am so in love with you and will always cherish those early years when I was your absolute favorite person in the world. While you are going to change and grow up on me, I pray that we will always have our special bond (like our secret "I love you" handshake at the bus stop). 

Thank you for being you!

I love you to the moon and back,
Mom