Sunday, May 1, 2011

Joe Turns 8!

On May 1st we took JP and his two friends Spencer & Amani to Boondocks Fun Center to celebrate him turning 8 in two days.  This was the 1st year that we didn’t do a big party with lots of friends.  It ended up being one of JP’s best birthdays ever.  The day was a little bit cold, but it didn’t stop the boys from doing anything and the lines were nice and short too.
It was the 1st time they had ever done go-karts and it was a hit- they went on them twice!  We had to laugh at our cautious son who started off a bit slow (see below video) :), but as I told Joe he will remember himself being Mario Andretti!
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Next up was mini golf:
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Bumper Boats!  We told the boys not to use the squirt guns on the boats because it was too cold.  It was a little too tempting for little boys though!
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Video games & Laser tags finished up our day and then back to our house for cake and presents.  We are so thankful that Aunt Carolyn & Uncle Paul came down to watch the trio for the afternoon.
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Amani showing off his “fake teeth” he won as a prize.Picture 125 Picture 131
Happy Birthday to our Big Eight Year Old!  We love you!!Picture 135
Here’s some stats on our JP at 8: weight 53.5 lbs (40-50%), height 51.25” (70%). 
Joe is still our sweet, sensitive boy.  He is very smart and does well in school, already reading at past a mid 3rd grade level.  He is very strong in math and science also.  This spring he started a computer class on Friday afternoons that he loved.  He also is one of the most creative kids I know.  He will come home from school and create “inventions” on a regular basis.  I never knew so many things could be made out of cardboard & tape!  He is always making up games and also loves to play the Wii- Star Wars and Mario Bros are clear favorites. 
Along with the good also comes the challenges.  We’re dealing with typical adolescent things such as the lying and not listening.  Luckily, we have been seeing improvements in both.  His biggest challenge at school has been when there are changes or new events in his day that are out of the norm.  Joe needs structure and has difficulty transitioning and focusing when things are out of the norm.  We are looking for ways to help him so hopefully he will be able to better deal with this this fall.  Overall, he is such a great kid and we’re so lucky he’s ours!

1 comment:

athena said...

Joe's party looks like it was a lot of fun - a great afternoon with a couple good pals looked perfect!