Happy Birthday, my handsome fellow. Today you are ELEVEN!!
Oh Tristan, where to start? You, my big boy, have had a very good year. You seem content and confident, and you are a joy to be around. You love movie nights and game nights with the family, caesar salad with bacon, reading, Minecraft novelty versions of pop songs, Phineas and Ferb, riding your bike, feeding the chicadees and Chinese food, among other things.
You are getting SO tall – I fear this time next year you may be as tall as your old mum! You’re now at the height of my jaw, and I love how you come in to be hugged with your head tucked down so you land under my chin – but I imagine there is a day in the not too distant future when it’s me tucking my head under your chin! As long as there are still hugs, I think I will be okay with that.
You are still my explorer, my adventurer, the one who is always up for a walk or a climb or a bike ride. You are becoming the family’s athlete, and this year you played lunchtime football at school as well as running in the cross-country meet. You’d prefer to walk home from school than be driven, and I know if I am twitching for an adventure, you will be the first one to volunteer to come with me. (You’re also pretty patient with some of my crazier photography-related ideas!)
You’ve fallen in with a good lot of mates at school, and I enjoy having your friends over to the house to play. You are less outgoing than your extroverted middle brother, but you are not shy either. You strike a pleasant middle ground, and the friends you do let in to your inner circle are fast and fierce. Your friends right now are Theodore and Owen and Carter and Ethan and Orion, and of course Sophie. Your ongoing friendship with her is perhaps the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen.
I couldn’t write about you at age 11 without mentioning your current obsession with the game Minecraft. I think you eat, sleep and dream about the game! Watching your ease with the game, and the technology behind it, makes me wonder if you don’t have a future in computers. To our delight, you even built a working app in school this year. You have slightly more old-fashioned career aspirations at this point, though. To my surprise and (I must admit) delight earlier this year, you announced with some conviction that when you grow up you want to be a blacksmith.
Last year we saw a big turnaround mid-year in your attitude toward school and your behaviour in it. This year, you have really hit your stride and your grades reflect your much-improved attitude. You have been invited to test for the gifted program next year, and I think you will enjoy that if you are accepted into the program. You are curious and creative, two skills that will take you far in life. Even though you have honed your athletic side this year, your creative side continues to flourish. You still draw regularly, if not as obsessively as you used to, and you enjoy your guitar lessons with Dave.
You get along well with both Simon and Lucas, which some days means you resist throttling them quite well. You melted my heart a few months ago when I found out that after your dad or I had finished reading to you and Simon at bedtime and tucked you in, you will often read aloud to Simon yourself. You are patient with Lucas as well, and we have even entrusted you with the care of your brothers for very (very!) brief interludes recently.
I enjoy your company, Tristan. I love that you are developing a sense of humour which perfectly complements your dad’s and mine. I love that we can watch movies and even read the same books (like the Hunger Games) and discuss them on an almost grown-up level. I love that I can rely on you and interact with you and share with you in a more sophisticated and grown-up way.
Mostly, I just love you! Happy birthday to you – and to your silly cat, with whom you are delighted to share a birthday. Happiest of birthdays, my sweet Tristan! You are very much loved.
When I started this blog a million years ago, one of the dreams I held was that I might some day have my writing published in a major glossy magazine. My storytelling focus has wandered from my keyboard to my camera over the years, but I have never lost my love of telling a good anecdote. And now, I am super-proud to be able to share this: my first publishing credit on TodaysParent.com!
Click on over and enjoy my contribution to their new feature: Melt-Your-Heart Moments. I wrote about that most amazing parenting moment: watching your child’s first dance recital, first choir concert, or first halting acting performance as the third tree to the left in the school Christmas pageant.
Very timely, too (I love it when the universe is synchronific!) because just today my heart melted into a pile of proud goo at the school talent show where not one but TWO boys took to the stage. Simon and his buddies brought the house down with their dance routine to LMFAO’s Party Rock Anthem (there are not words nor photos that could do it justice), and Tristan finished off his first year of guitar lessons with a solo on stage.
Could I be any prouder? I think this is as good as it gets.
Over the last decade, I’ve watched a LOT of kid TV. Most of it is to be endured rather than enjoyed, but I have to admit, when the boys are watching Phineas and Ferb, I get sucked in every time. It is by far my favourite cartoon, narrowly edging out Peep and the Big Wide World and the WonderPets. When I was recently offered the opportunity to host a giveaway of the not-yet-released DVD “Phineas and Ferb: The Perry Files” I knew I had to say yes, partly because I knew there had to be more Phineas and Ferb fans out there and (I admit it) largely because it’s Tristan’s favourite TV show, too.
Don’t take my word for it, though; let Tristan tell you about it himself! Without further ado or even (oy, this part was hard) correction of the original typos, here is Tristan on what is Phineas and Ferb and why it’s a great show:
What is Phineas and Ferb? Phineas and ferb is a tv show that has two boys named phineas and ferb and they’re sister Candace .Phineas and Ferb are always building crazy contraptions. They’re sister is always trying to bust them for it. Phineas and Ferb have three friends Isabella, Buford, and Baljeet. They’re friends help them in construction and testing their contraptions.
Perry the platypus and Dr.Doofenshmirts. Perry the platypus is Phineas’ and Ferb’s pet . Dr.Doof is always inventing machines to take over the tri state area. All of Dr.Doof’s inventions all end in the word “inator”. Perry the platypus is always destroying Dr.Doof’s “inators”. Parts of Dr.Doof’s inventions always falling in to Phineas’ and Ferb’s yard and making their inventions disappear .
Phineas and Ferb is a good television show. It is a good show because it is good for just about all ages even adults like it. It has good humor and it is good for creative people. It is also a good show because it has a song to each episode that is funky and fun to listen to. It is so strange how when ever Candace brings their mom home Phineas’ and Ferb’s inventions disappear . It gives the show a little bit of mystery .
(My little blogger-in-training. I’m so proud! You can’t quite see it in the photo, but by clever planning on my part absolute fluke he’s even wearing his Perry the Platypus T-shirt.)
So, whether you’re already a member of the P&F fan club or your curiousity is piqued by Tristan’s review, here’s your chance to win one of three copies of the about-to-be-released DVD, “Phineas and Ferb: The Perry Files!” From the publicist:
While Phineas and Ferb do it all to make every day the best day ever, evil lurks just around the corner! But there is hope for the unsuspecting citizens of Danville. Now, for the very first time, crack open the top-secret archives of O.W.C.A. (Organization Without a Cool Acronym) to expose… THE PERRY FILES!
Join Perry the Platypus–a.k.a. Agent P.–on his most exciting adventures as he thwarts his nemesis, Dr. Doofenshmirtz, at every turn. With groovy gadgets, mad skills and his trademark brown fedora, this semi-aquatic, egg-layin’ mammal of action is unstoppable! Experience the hilarious havoc as he defends the Tristate Area against Doof’s “inators,” battles rogue agent “Dennis the Bunny,” and much more. When it comes to secret agents, Perry’s not only the real deal, he’s real teal!
Fun, eh? Here’s the details:
- This giveaway is for a DVD of Phineas and Ferb: The Perry Files.
- Three winners will be chosen from all entries using the random number generator at random.org.
- To enter, simply leave a comment on this post telling Tristan your favourite show from when you were a kid.
- The giveaway starts today, Monday June 4, and ends at noon EDT on Friday June 8, 2012.
- This giveaway is open to residents of Canada, with the exception of those residing in the province of Quebec (sorry!)
- If you win, you must be willing to supply your full name and mailing address to me, and I will share it with the publicist for Walt Disney Canada, who will mail the DVD to you directly.
Thanks to Walt Disney Canada and especially Tristan for making this blog post and giveaway possible!
My darling Tristan, you are TEN years old today! A whole decade! You’re up to my shoulder now, my tall son, and your feet are the same size as mine. Won’t be long now and I’ll be looking up to you even when your feet are on the ground!
Tristan, you still have boundless energy and a good appetite for adventure. You like to climb things, to leap off things, to balance on things. You like to wander and explore with me (and I’m delighted to admit, you seem to share my sense of humour!) You’re a great companion, and I enjoy chatting with you as we walk. I was very impressed early in the spring last year when you committed to training for your first 5K run, and I was especially proud when you persevered through bucketloads of cold rain to finish the run.
One of the definite highlights of your year was the arrival of Willie the Cat. Maybe it’s because you share a birthday (Happy Birthday Willie!) or because you’re just a cat person at heart, but there is no doubt there is a special bond between you and that cat. And perhaps even more endearing, it’s clear the cat feels the same way. I’m pretty sure he thinks you’re a tall, hairless, funny-looking litter mate. (In sorting through my pictures from the year for this post, I laughed at the fact that nearly if not more than half of my pictures of you for the year also feature the cat somehow.)
It’s great to know I can count on you to help around the house without too much complaint, even if I have to micromanage you, and you’re clearly comfortable taking on more responsibility in the family with tasks like feeding the pets and small household jobs. You also learned to play chess this year, and started taking guitar lessons. You seem to be enjoying your lessons quite a bit, even if you don’t practice nearly as much as you should. You can play a few songs now, and I enjoy hearing you practice.
You still love video games, of course. You like to play Club Penguin on the computer and Skylanders on the Wii and DS. You still like Super Mario Bros and Pokemon. Your favourite shows are Phinias and Ferb and Hello Charlie, and you and Simon like to watch tween shows like Witches of Waverly. I love how you comfortably stand between the childhood that is nearly behind you and the teen years ahead with an easy comfort in both worlds.
Your best friend is clearly Simon, though you might never admit it. You two are partners in crime, joined at the hip — often literally. I love how the two of you flop together like puppies in a litter, and how you make each other laugh. Outside of the house, your best friends are Theodore and Sophie, and even though Sophie moved across town last year you’ve stayed in touch through letters and weekend playdates.
You are extremely patient (most of the time) with Lucas, who is more like you that you realize or would care to admit. This photo was one of my favourite memories of the year, when you asked out of the blue if you could read to Lucas at bedtime.
You’ve done well at school this year, better in the second half of the year than the first. I think it took you a while to find your groove in your first year of French immersion and while your grades have been good, you needed a bit of an attitude adjustment in the first semester, which your latest report card reflects you’ve clearly done. Just last week, I eavesdropped on a conversation you and your Dad were having about what you wanted to be when you grow up. You said you’d like to be an artist, because it would be fun to draw pictures and make paintings all day. It’s no surprise to me that you’d consider a career in the arts, because you draw and doodle so relentlessly that your teacher gave you a special doodle pad to keep you from filling your desk with endless bits of scrap paper. You have special permission to use it only when you’ve finished your in-class work.
This is the year when you’ve clearly come to love reading as well. I’m charmed that each night after either your Dad or I read to you and Simon that Simon falls instantly asleep and you lay quietly in your bed reading to yourself. Lately you’ve consumed Bone books and Calvin and Hobbes cartoons and Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, among others. I like the quiet conversations we have when I come down each night to turn off your light and tuck you in.
Tristan, you’re warm, sweet, smart, energetic and artistic, and I genuinely enjoy your company immensely (when you aren’t fidgeting madly or making the weird, random, repetitive noises that boys your age seem incapable of repressing!) Your quirks make you even more endearing to me, and it’s a genuine joy to have you as my son. Happy birthday, my darling Tristan! I wish you a year filled with joy and delight. 
A couple of weeks ago, Tristan came home with a permission slip for the running club at school. It said they were preparing for a 5K race in Osgoode, and the kids would be working their way up to the 5k during lunch hours over the next few weeks.
Tristan loves to run, and I am always in favour of finding new ways for the kids to burn off energy, so this sounded like a great idea to me. I have to admit, even when I signed the permission slip, I had vague ideas of backing out of the actual race by the time it came around, but the more Tristan talked about the perks (a t-shirt! a MEDAL!) the more I realized I was firmly committed and should make peace with the sacrifice of a Saturday morning to the run.
I was a little less enthused when a note came home about a week before the run saying that the school couldn’t be responsible for overseeing all the kids during the actual run, and parents were at all times responsible for the supervision of their own kids. Suddenly I was faced with the idea of actually RUNNING the 5K instead of simply spectating it. And I was not amused.
In the days leading up to the race, I resigned myself to donning my trainers and hoping that my weekly trips to the gym would be enough to keep me from embarrassing myself too thoroughly. However, in passing I spoke to one parent who was also spouse of an organizer of the run, and I was assured that he would need no supervision, that the runners were on a closed pathway (the newly minted multi-use pathway in Osgoode) and in fact out of sight for only 10 or 15 minutes. And really, does my lightning-quick 9 year old really need his lumbering mother like a ball around his ankle, slowing him down?
That’s how we found ourselves in Osgoode on Saturday morning, just Tristan and me, in the pouring rain.
Here he is at the starting line, twitching to go. He’s number 52, in the blue jacket.
Did I mention the rain? Not just a sprinkle, either. Driving, cold rain.
They were out of my sight down the path within minutes, but it seemed to take hours for them to run the kilometer or so to one end of the course and turn around. They’d run past the start, run another kilometer or so in the opposite direction, and then back to finish at the same spot they’d started. I peered up the path for what seemed like hours watching for him after the first turn.
He really doesn’t seem to think the whole run thing was such a brilliant plan anymore, does he? Once he saw me, though, he kicked his little engine back into gear.
I’m sure a week passed, maybe two, before the runners made the final turn of the circuit and headed back to the finish. I was wet and I’d been hiding under an umbrella. As the first runners crossed the finish line, I peered up the path watching for Tristan and staked a strategic spot for myself at the finish line. When he finally approached, I was so excited for him I almost forgot to take a picture. This is about four feet from the finish line.
I honestly thought my heart would burst from pride. It’s one thing to run on a warm sunny spring day, but this was the most sucky day imaginable, and his determination never wavered.
He crossed the finish line in 30:52. Was it really only half an hour? Because it seemed about five times that long. He was wet and dirty, red-cheeked and sweaty, but rather than beaming in pride, he was rather stoic about his accomplishment. Between you and me, I think it was way harder and way less fun than he’d imagined.
He’s the introvert to my extravert, but he’s got his mother’s need for external validation, and when I realized that there were no medals to be had, I thought we were in real trouble. No medals? The only reason he ran was so he could get a medal. Lucky for me, he’s also got his mother’s short attention span, and a medal was easily substituted by the promise of a stuffed yellow Pikachu he’d been coveting. He certainly earned it.
(I’d originally posted this on Flickr, but by the time I was finished writing it, it sounded suspiciously like a blog post!)
Via Flickr:
My oldest is not good with change but even I was surprised by the depth of his aversion to even the most rudimentary changes. He wore through his school shoes (I’m happy we made it from September to April, I think that’s a new record) and when we went shopping we found a pair identical to the old ones, which he immediately picked up. I showed him a few other styles and suggested he might like to try one on, but no, the exact same shoe one size bigger was what he wanted.
The next day, as I was packing the new shoes in his bag, I told him to just throw the old shoes in the garbage at school — and he looked at me as if I’d suggested he set fire to them on the principal’s desk. "But they’re still good, they just have a few holes in them!" he said with obvious dismay. And that night, there they were in the bottom of his backpack.
I pulled them out to throw them in the garbage, and hesitated over the can. I dropped them on the floor, added the baseball, and now they’re memorialized. Good old shoes, thanks for putting up with a lot of boy stuff these last seven months. Then I buried them in the garbage a bit, so he doesn’t see them. And so I don’t have to look at them. Because I was tempted to just throw them in the closet, yanno, in case he needs a backup for his backup pair.
You can see why we won’t let him get a hamster.
