Happy Birthday, Dominic!

 The years seem to go by quicker and quicker.  I know I was just writing the blog post for Dom's 8th birthday the other day.  Not to mention his 7th and 6th and 5th.  But, here we are.  One year shy of him turning double digits.  I have 366 days before that, though.  Thank goodness for Leap Year!

 It took me a while to think of anything major we did this year.  After living through a deployment and welcoming John (who celebrates his 1/2 birthday today!), the last year seemed pretty tame.  Then I remembered we bought a house and the kids did quite a bit of the moving with their trusty wagon.  And by 'kids', I mean, Dom and Will.

 Dom has continued to impress us with what a wonderful brother he is.  He has got to be one of the most patient kids around.  With three siblings, he definitely has to wait his turn quite a bit.  He also has to help out a lot more.  Let's just say, I could have used a Dominic 8 years ago when I had to change his diaper.  At least the diaper changes would have gone quicker and I would have had a sympathetic ear when I complained about the squirming baby trying to get away.

 He is still our go to sports guy.  I am currently sitting in our office where there is an up-to-date bracket for the MLB playoffs.  He knows the times of games also, which is extremely helpful.  Others have Siri, I have Dominic.  I like my data plan better.

 In the last year, I think it is accurate to say that Dom has become a voracious reader.  He has discovered Encyclopedia Brown as well as the A to Z Mysteries.  We go to the library most Fridays and stock up on these books and Dom and Will both disappear for hours at a time to read them. They will beg to start school just a little later so that they can finish "Just one more chapter".  If he isn't reading those, he really enjoys reading about history and geography.  And has had some quality conversations with his L'Opa about whatever he is currently learning.

 Also in the last year, Dom has celebrated 2 sacraments: Reconciliation and First Communion.  FYI, younger brothers are excellent spiritual advisers when it comes to making an examination of conscience.  We are very proud of the faith that Dom has developed and continues to develop.  Aunt Katie and Uncle Robert gave him The Action Bible which he read from cover to cover.  He knows bible stories better than I do.  While we are reading about something in our history curriculum, he has jumped up and grabbed his bible and found the same time period.  Let's just say that sometimes the line between the teacher and the students gets a little blurred.

 Along with Bible knowledge, he probably knows a bit more geography than me as well.  But, don't worry, I can totally school him in multiplication facts...for now.

Dom played basketball and soccer at various times in the last year.  He is a wonderful teammate and is fun to coach because of his enthusiasm.  Recently he has played several games of baseball in our backyard.  As a result, we now know that our backyard neighbors are KC Chiefs and KC Royals fans.  We know this, because we had to meet them in order to get some stray balls back.

 Back in the day, when I needed a little time to get myself together in the morning, I would turn on PBS and let the kids watch a show or two (or three).  Now, the kids are old enough to entertain themselves or help me clean up the kitchen.  Oddly, I seldom have any bored kids.  The one exception is John.  Who isn't so much bored, but wants more interaction than I can always give.  However, he is equally happy snuggling up with Dom to read a book or two.  A new routine that they both enjoy. I'd call it a win-win-win.

9 years ago today, I cried out of fear of becoming a mom.  And nearly every day since I've cried for the love I have for my eldest and his siblings and Thank God that they have been brought into our lives.  Not many are as lucky as I am to spend my day with the people I love the most in the world and who seem to enjoy my company as well.  And Dominic started all of it.

Dear Dominic,
  Every day you do something that makes our hearts burst with pride (see, Dom?  That is how one could use 'burst' in a sentence).   Everyone is given certain gifts in this life and one that you have been given is that of kindness.  You show great patience with your younger siblings and I love to hear the tone of voice you take as you try to calm John.  You are competitive, but also take great joy in seeing your teammates succeed and you understand the value of fair play.  You are extremely honest, even when you know you will get in trouble.  You tell the worst jokes, but laugh so hard, that I can't help but laugh along with you.  And you greet me every morning with a hug and an inquiry as to how I slept (as you have learned that this is highly correlated with what sort of mood I will be in for the remainder of the morning).  You are silly and wise and just a wonderful kid to be around.  I look forward to many more mornings of letting you know whether to tread lightly or not.

We all love you, Dominic Joseph.  Have a wonderful birthday and 9th Year.  I'll unload the dishwasher for you today.

Mom