Don't turn around! Patrick turned 12!

Somewhere, in between hockey games, Patricio turned 12. We snuck in a lunch at an italian restaurant, which left him with an upset stomach. I feel badly that his birthday was such a non-event, but he didn't seem to want to do much. He is such an easy-going kid, thankful for anything he gets.

Sometimes I look at this "child" and I am blown away by how quickly he is growing up. It seems like just yesterday, he was my flaxen-haired little man. I am horrified that I am already shopping in the men's department for his clothes. He wears a size 12 shoe! And growing. I am almost 5'7" and he is a little more than an inch shorter than me as I type this. In a month, he'll probably be taller than me. I just want him to slow down. I am reminded of when he was 2 years old and for his birthday he received Sharon, Lois and Bram's Elephant Party album and we listened to the song "Turn Around". I had to choke back tears as the message of the song was overwhelming for a very pregnant woman. From then on it didn't take much to remind me of this bittersweet fact of life. Now I try to live in denial, or else I'd be a sobbing mess. But lately, it has been hard to live in denial.

Patrick is growing to be a wonderful young man. He makes us all very proud. I am continually surprised by and proud of his compassion for all living things. He is very easy to get along with, and he is an outstanding big brother to his siblings. He is a delight to his teachers, and fits in very well with his peers. He is very inquisitive and especially eager to learn all he can about history and geography. It is a joy to watch him perform in sports, he is always very focused and hard-working, and it is so nice to see him do well.