Tucker: Growing Up!!

Tucker is growing up.  His round little baby face is starting to thin out.  His top teeth are wiggly and loose.  He is starting to learn his times tables.  He has read the first two Harry Potter books.  He loves mysteries and spy/detective stuff.  He isn't a baby anymore.  It seems like you blink and suddenly your babies are little people.

(for the story on the water stand go here")

I am so impressed with Tucker. That kid is always thinking, figuring things out, trying to understand the world. He is a curious kid who loves to learn. I am so proud of him. He is doing so well in school. Really. You should see this kid read, it amazes me. He told us when he grows up he wants to be a nerd. I hope he will be a nerd. Nerds are the best and I hope he will always be proud of whoever he is, because I sure am. Currently, he has a lot of confidence. He told Jim, while skiing, that he was pretty much the best skier there. As a mother I hope that confidence stays with him in the years ahead, because well, those teenage years will be here before we know it, and speaking from personal experience, they can be rough on a person. Tucker turned 7 on Wednesday. He has never had a friend party, and so I told him I would throw him one. He was excited. He started planning what he wanted. Then one day out of the blue he changed his mind. He didn't want one. I asked him why. "Everyone at school kept coming up and giving me their phone numbers so I could invite them. And I don't want to invite a lot of people. Our house isn't big enough. Besides, they all love violence, and I don't." Huh? Anyway, we ended up celebrating his birthday by going to parent teacher conference (where he got a stellar report) and then dinner out. The real party came today. March is the birthday month of choice on the Taylor side. Pop-pop, Maren, Phillip, Lizzy, Tucker, Jayson, and Clara all celebrate in March (and that isn't to mention the extended family and friends). I want to declare June, birth control awareness month. Anyway, because of all the birthdays I thought it might be nice to celebrate his birthday at Sunday dinner with his cousin Lizzy--three birds one stone. But last Monday I came out of my room and our house had been transformed into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There were signs on the doors indicating house towers (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, etc.). There was a sorting hat. There were signs pointing to Dumbledore's office and the Great Hall. And Tucker had made a game. Hedwig was going to deliver a message in the great hall: the Golden Snitch had been stolen, and all the little witches and wizards needed to find it. Apparently Crabbe, Goyle, and Malfoy stole it and it was hidden in Slytherin Tower (my room). Anyway, with the party all planned, we went ahead and had a party at our house with the Ensign cousins. That Tucker is just so dang creative! I love him and can't believe what a good kid he is. We love him so much and are so lucky to have a kid just like him in our family.

a couple of the decorations:

Our amazing Harry Potter:

The sorting hat:

Hedwig delivering the message:

the message reads: Dear Hogwarts.  Someone stoll the snitch.

I'v look evrewer for it.  But theres non in the stores.  you have

to find it by tonight.  Headmaster Dumbledore

Lucy made a treasure hunt.  This is them reading

the clue out on the quidditch field:

Snow White made and appearance at Hogwarts:

The treasure hunt ended in Hagrid's Hut:

Happy Birthday Tucker, we love you!