Oh my Heaven, he's 11 not 7!

My birthday rhymes are getting officially disastrous! I can't believe we have a son who is 11! I can remember being 11--my mom making me where Gunne Sax dresses when I really wanted to wear a jean skirt, my mom not allowing me to shave my legs and Todd Perdue making fun of me for it, getting in verbal matches with Ashley (?) with a favorite line, "You're no Miss America!", starting to hate math (or at least pretend to), and going to Rec Dances wanting to bust a move, but starting to wonder who might see me and laugh.

Here are 11 things I hope Finn remembers about himself at age 11:

1. How good he is with his brothers--he loves to play with them, have slumber parties with them, and teach them how to do things.

2. How much he loves to read--we go to Barnes and Noble and by the time we get home he is 1/2 way finished with the novel.

3. How into the Food Network and cooking show he is--he knows more about Guy Fieri and Bobby Flay than any other 11 year old.

4. He still loves Webkinz--it's the age I still loved Barbie but pretended not to at school, guess same rules still apply.

5. Anything Lego is his obsession.

6. He beat his mom at scrabble for the first time, days before his 11th bday

7. He loves playing games with his parents after the little boys go to sleep--may this continue forever!

8. He is sensitive to those around him and we all love him for that

9. He slacked off on his Webelos badge all year (it's true Finn, you know it), but when it came time to get it in gear, he worked his tail off and finished on time. I also want him to remember he was learning to whip/fuse rope the night before his 11th birthday...

10. He has a strong testimony of the gospel--he will need it to fortify himself against what is to come in his teenage years. But even at such a young age, he has a moral compass stronger than many adults (sometimes even too strong, is that possible?).

11. He doesn't want to switch lives with anyone he knows--we had a long talk the other day and while he wishes he had this, or could do that, but he understands the strength of being happy with who you are & what you have. It is a lesson I didn't learn until much older. He is strong. And now he is 11.