eight is great!

(warning, we write these posts for posterity, as such they are FULL of praise for our kids- read at your own discretion!  let the dotage begin:)
what does a dream day look like for a newly minted eight year old?  not what you might think.
no race carts, no roller-coasters, no fancy dinners.  with the one day a year that was his to write, caleb penned a simple tale: toying around with his best friend (his brother), tackling the marvel universe in 'ultimate alliance,' and spending some quality time at home, his favorite place in the world! in fact, if we hadn't dragged him to church and to the grand opening of dots, i'm pretty sure our little homebody would have been happy to stay in his pj's all day.
caleb is also our little firecracker, bringing a spark of joy, humor and passion wherever he goes.  he may be small (and he is, still wearing size six jeans) but he has a large and welcoming presence that makes him a favorite at school and of course, here at home. 
for years caleb was the baby of the family, and in many ways we still see him as such.  he's just so darned snuggly!  despite his propensity for home, caleb easily makes new friends and is extremely adaptable in his play; he's up for whatever suits his playmates, and dives headfirst into their pursuits.  his teachers appreciate this gung ho approach as well as it applies equally to his classwork.  in this manner, caleb leads in a non abrasive way, if it's possible, he leads by following. 
what i love most about caleb is his laugh. it's quick, a little husky and hopelessly contagious, tinged with just enough mischief to make it unmistakably boyish.  it's the kind of laugh that draws in all comers, the kind that makes us pray that the well from which he draws it out never dries up.
with caleb, eight is truly great!
p.s. my favorite gift for caleb was the new diary of a wimpy kid.  if you have boys, are a boy, or want to understand them, read this book.  caleb gives it a thumbs up, and take it from caleb, he knows funny:)