Dom the Great Turns 8!

 Happy Birthday, Dominic!!  As I was pondering everything I could write about, I realized what an amazing year it has been for you.  Dad and I are so proud of the young man you are becoming (but, you are still my little boy!)

 Over the course of December, Dom received not one, but two basketball jerseys and proceeded to wear one or the other for the rest of the winter. 

 He also got to drive a truck and a tractor if I'm not mistaken.

 Eric and I really made our kids adapt quite a bit over the last year between having them sleep in many different houses and on many different floors.  But, Dom always had an upbeat attitude about all of it.  I  marvel at his patience and willingness to just go with the flow. 

 He proudly wore his KU Jersey through March, then switched to the Thunder for NBA playoffs.  I fully expect a similar attire this coming basketball season. 

 But, Dom is not a one sport kid.  He, like his mother, is the biggest fan of whatever competition is currently on.  Think a little Florida heat would stop this kid from recreating his favorite Winter Olympic events?  Not on your life! See above: The Florida Luge.

 Dom has such a kind heart, too.  As much as he enjoys competition, he is not a competitive person.  He rarely lets defeat get him down (but, he is learning to trash talk a bit...he gets that from me).

 He was so excited to meet John, just like everyone else.  He has made the transition to four kids pretty easy as I can leave John alone with him for a time (when I go to another room) and John is perfectly happy.  It probably helps that John was born on Dom's half-birthday.  Obviously, there is a super strong connection there.

 Eric and I count ourselves very lucky to have three kids who get along so well.  There is rarely a fight, and I credit a lot of that to Dom's calm demeanor.  He sets the tone, and the other two generally follow his lead. 

 (one of these two grew quite a bit more than the other one over the last 6 months...)

 All three play very well together.  They all have their interests, and generally find some way to include everything in their imaginative play. 

I love these two brothers. 

Dom has continued to do well in school.  Between the Winter Olympics and the World Cup, he colored many national flags.  As a result, he recognizes many of these on sight.  #Homeschool #IndependentStudy

Dom's smile lights up a room.  He has a delightful laugh and will laugh at the silliest of jokes.  Generally told by Will. 

A story I will re-tell here.  During our evening prayers, we also ask various saints to intercede for us.  Mainly, the saints that share names with our kids.  One morning, Dom commented that he hoped that Molly would be a saint so that there would be a St. Molly.  However, he only wanted to be Blessed because he didn't want triple Dominics.  Always thinking!

Dom has loved playing soccer for a while now, but the World Cup not only educated Will on national flags, it awakened a sleeping giant.  The games played in our front yard are epic!

Here is our fun loving quartet.

One of Dom's greatest areas of growth is in his independence.  During the Tour de France, he would go out and ride his bike for hours.  I didn't realize what he was practicing until he asked me to come out and watch him.  He'd taught himself to ride without using the handlebars. 

Over the course of the year, we've had four different brackets set up in our living room (NCAA tournament, NBA playoffs, World Cup, and now MLB playoffs).  I love having up to date knowledge of who is in and who is out.  Dom greets me in the morning with the previous nights results and has already made the required changes to the living room decor.  I think I may have suggested the NCAA, but he did all the rest on his own.  And he takes great pride in all of it.

Dom has had such an eventful year, I know I left many things out.  He is such a neat kid and when I see others interact with him I hope that they can see what I see.  A boy who has such an enthusiasm for sports the he goes out and recreates the games over and over again.  A kid who loves a good joke and will giggle uncontrollably as he tells it.  A boy who works harder than anyone else when he knows it will help the team (this includes the team of siblings who need to get chores done if they want to watch tv).   A son who couldn't make his parents prouder for the love he has for his family.  I cherish a note he wrote me during Eric's time in San Antonio that simply said: I love you.  And I look forward to the hug he gives me every night before he goes to bed. 

Dominic we love you so very much and wish you the happiest of birthdays and a wonderful 8th year.  (Your first birthday present is a Royals win)