My Aaron Bestie,
Our bishop called you a "sober young man" and that's spot on. You take things seriously and think deeply about everything. Sometimes it makes things difficult for you (anxiety, anyone?), but it also makes you a very thoughtful and kind person.
But don't worry: your siblings still do their best to goad you into your Aaron Hulk Rage. The best methods include teasing you about having crushes on girls you don't actually have crushes on, or calling your blue Nikes "Tralalero Tralala" shoes. We keep telling you to just ignore it. That your raging is exactly the response they want. But you still have a hard time letting it go.
Soccer is still life. Outdoor, indoor, by yourself in the backyard...soccer is everything. You play a solid defense and have a nice foot on you. You are just frustrated a lot because you tend to get put on teams that are a hot mess. You especially like homeschool soccer because you are one of the stars and tend to score most of the goals.
Getting ice cream with Dad after a soccer game.
Your competitiveness does show through in things like soccer. During homeschool soccer you made sure to "win" all the warmups, even though they weren't actually races.
An impressive warmup lap victory
I love getting to homeschool with you. Since it's just the two of us, we get to do exactly what you want to do. Like hanging out at the Science Center on the bed of nails!
Selfie at Inner Harbor!
This year one of our fun weekly activities has been walking our friends' dog, Daisy. You simultaneously love her and want to rub your face on her fur, and are disgusted by her licking you. Getting to walk her every week has been great exposure therapy! Plus you two totally have the same fur.
Trying to get Daisy to sit on your lap
See! Same fur!
Daisy meets Mow-mow.
Besides soccer, your favorite activity is still screens. Mostly Roblox, still occasional Minecraft. You also have a giant pile of books at the foot of your bed, which makes me super happy.
The highlights of your week are the days when you have friends coming to play after school gets out. Homeschooling by yourself gets a little lonely, so I'm glad you have regular time to play with friends.
You still come find me every morning when you wake up to give me a big hug. I hope you never stop.
You want so much to always be good and do what you're supposed to do.
I love you, Bestie Friend. Happy 11th!
Love, Mom
Aaron's Birthday Interview
What's your favorite color?
"Red. Volcanic red. Because it reminds me of glory."
What's your favorite food?
"For breakfast it's probably pancakes or something like that. For lunch it's white shells or something. For dinner it's probably pizza and root beer. Or else tuna pie. For dessert? I've always loved crème brulee. But it's rarely made around here. And homemade Swiss cake rolls are good. And Drumsticks have never been bad."
Who is your best friend?
"I have three best friends. Luke, David, Paul."
What's your favorite movie?
"Emperor's New Groove is pretty good one."
Favorite show?
"Probably Gravity Falls."
What is your favorite thing to play with that's not a screen?
"Soccer ball."
What's your favorite game to play that's not on a screen?
"SPUD is good. I like Uno."
What's your favorite game to play on a screen?
"Clash Royale and Geometry Dash."
What's your favorite snack?
"Apples with peanut butter."
What's your favorite animal?
"Probably puppies."
What do you want to be when you grow up?
"Probably a geologist and an engineer like Dad. Engineer for the money, geologist for the fun."
What's your favorite song?
"One of the Geometry Dash songs. I like 'Can't Let Go' and 'Base After Base' a lot."
What's your favorite book?
"Maybe Alvin Ho or Harry Potter."
What's your favorite thing to learn about in school?
"Math and science. Those two things."
Anything else to add?
"I love soccer."
