Happy 12th Birthday, Handsome Lad!

I can't believe my baby, Daniel Handsome Lad is turning 12 today. When my oldest son was 12, he seemed so big to me...I think because of the younger kids that I also had...right down to Handsome Lad who was just joining us that year. Now 12 seems a much younger age. They don't call babies of the family "baby of the family" for nothing, now do they? No, Handsome Lad will always be the baby :)

I just want to recognize, on his special day, what a great kid he is. Here are some Handsome Lad facts for you:

- When he was very small he had a very large key collection. And whenever we went out walking anywhere, he would have to stop at any lock he found and try out his keys in it. Sure, it took us longer to get around, but his concentration was unwavering. There was something darling about it.

- He's very athletic and coordinated, but he doesn't particularly enjoy team or organized sports. Finally, a couple of years ago, he discovered skateboarding. Now he skates every single day if nothing else gets in his way.

- His performance in school seems to be based primarily upon his interest level in whatever is being taught. I have seen him go all out for teachers he likes and subjects he finds engaging. I have seen completely shut down if there is a personality conflict or an area that doesn't matter to him.

- He likes reading biographies and humorous fiction. When he was younger he wrote a little series of biographies about his favorite wrestlers. They were hilarious. He loves history. Math, not so much. He especially loves art and I am happy to say that he fully believes that art is like anything else...if you practice it enough each day, you will get good at it.

- Handsome Lad can be insanely funny. He is especially adept at prop comedy and odd impersonations. Sometimes when he and one of the other kids get going on something as a team, I have found myself reduced to helpless laughter.

- Maybe because of his position as the youngest, he has a deeply personal and close connection to each person in the family individually. It seems like he has made a special effort to find something to bond over with each of his brothers and his sister. He is also very close to both his dad and I, which has sometimes made him feel conflicted. I feel bad about that, of course, but that is definitely getting better.

- I feel certain that Handsome Lad, equipped with his intensity, his humor, and his sensitivity is bound to lead a full and interesting life. I feel so lucky to know him.

Happy Birthday, Handsome Lad. Next year...the teens.