“Mom, I want books for my birthday.  And a big bag of of Dum Dums!”

Jake is definitely our sweets guy.  At 72 pounds and 5 feet tall, there seems to be plenty of room in those bones for more sweets.  It’s like we feed him but instead of getting fatter, he just gets longer.

At ten years old, Jake is not so different than when he started.  It surprises me how much the kids don’t “change” but just keep becoming more interesting versions of the kids they’ve always been.  Jake still talks about one day being a farmer like Opa.  I think he realizes this is an unlikely job, but it must run deep in the blood somewhere.

Jake Age 10 Stats:

Favorite Color:  Blue

Favorite Movie:  James Bond.  “All of them.”

Favorite Food:  Chicken nuggets, Sushi

Friends:  George, Nico, Oliver, Lilly

After School Activities:  Swimming, Violin, Webelos, School Play

Favorite Toy:  DJ Mixer.  Here he is mixing from inside a fort in the living room.  He’s a pretty good DJ, and is awesome to have at parties!

Ice Cream Flavor:  After Eight Mint

Favorite Book:  When You Reach Me

Favorite Class:  PE

Favorite Songs:  One Foot – Walk The Moon, Like a River Runs – Bleachers

Best Things About Austria:  Food, Rodelbahns, and Churches

Favorite Dessert:  Peppermint Brownies

When I Grow Up I Want To Be:  A Navy Seal or an Air Force Pilot

If I were a sea creature, I would be a:  Dolphin or Whale

A few of his other accomplishments and interests this year:

Jake is a cuddlebug, sometimes distracted with his nose in a book or watching YouTube, but full of emotion and in great need of hugs.  He wakes up early to go to the gym with Daddy, and melts my heart when he says “you’re the best Mommy in the world!”

He’s my buddy to get croissants from Anker on Sunday mornings.  We go to the one next to the Servitenkirche because it’s the only one open on Sundays.  We usually get krapfens too.  Jake is pretty committed to doughnuts.

At school he’s friends with everyone and is doing very well in math.  If Jake has a fault, it’s that he’s too aware of his faults, which only makes him work harder.   For a Cub Scout project, he made this awesome birdhouse that hangs in the outdoor classroom at school.

In addition to woodworking, Jake also has an interest in baking.  As much as it pains me to slow down and teach, I take a deep breath and remind myself baking is an excellent way to practice fractions.  Also my favorite way to teach the kids about American culture, which I think makes the best dessert on earth.  Oreo Pie!

Even more promising are the signs Jake shows signs of being a writer.  One Saturday morning we went on a date together with our notebooks, to Cafe Central.

I’m not sure what it meant to him, but it was the dream of my life to be writing with my little boy in a stream of sunlight, sharing cake.  And even though he’s 10 now, my soul felt peaceful, knowing that the end of a decade doesn’t mean anything more than an empty coffee cup.  Nothing is ending.  We are still just at the beginning.

I used to think I needed a little girl to know and share my world, but I was so wrong.  All I needed was my little boy.

Happy Birthday Honey Bear!  We love you!!