DominiX Birthday (+1)

Happy Birthday, Dominic (1 day late)!  Yesterday we woke up in London, England, and spent the day in airports and on airplanes and fell asleep in our beds.  Dom had a 30 hour birthday.  And out of all of us, he is the only one that has not snapped out of irritation from a long travel day and time change and lack of sleep.  His temperament continues to amaze me. And he didn't even complain that we didn't really celebrate his birthday...yet!

Aside from his first international trip, Dom has had a pretty great year.  It was a year ago this month that Eric introduced Will and him to Harry Potter.  And our lives will never be the same.  We all took a sorting quiz and he along with his parents ended up in Hufflepuff.  A fact he owns with pride!  And thanks to his Grandmother he also has some socks to wear.  (The scarf is awesome, but does not get a lot of use in the Florida climate)

Dominic is the best older brother (though Will may at times disagree).  He is very kind to younger kids in general.  He quickly becomes a favorite to play with.  On our recent trip across the pond, it did not surprise me that by the end his new nearly 3-year-old friend asked for Dom to comfort him over a parent.  That said, he is not above manipulating a situation to watch what he wants to watch or play a game he would like to play.  He is not quite a saint, but he does have the patience of one.

His love of sports continues to grow.  Basketball, soccer, baseball, biking, corn hole, and recently added running to his daily activities.  His enthusiasm is contagious and kids want to go along with his schemes of tournaments in the backyard, relays up the hill, bicycle circuits around the neighborhood, or making jerseys out of white t-shirts. 

He is not as into science and math as another pupil at the table, but he still is so good at both.  He works hard and surprises me daily with his grasp of information we learned the week before.  He reads at a very quick rate and can recall details that I forget.  His favorite subjects continue to be geography and history.  He doesn't even consider those subjects, just things he likes to read. We learned a couple of days ago that art is not exactly his cup of tea, but there was bound to be something that didn't pique his interest.  Yet, he was a good sport and only asked half a dozen times when we could leave the National Gallery.

Speaking of sports, his grandmother witnessed his daily ritual with his baseball cap.  He has a pretty large collection and wears one from the moment he wakes up to the moment right before he puts his head on his pillow.  He was very relieved when he found a stash of 5 he had hidden away for safe keeping.  I get pretty frustrated when he immediately dons one after washing his hair, but he does not look quite himself without one.

I wrote earlier that Will may not always agree that he is the best older brother.  And that is really more because these two are equals in so many ways.  Something that Dom's temperament allows.  They are friends first and have giggle fests and wrestle and share common interests in books and movies and games.  But, they have very different personalities.  Dom rushes into things and will often say the first thing that comes into his head without any thought.  No matter how ridiculous.  But, he is able to laugh about the silliness of it and always promises to try better.  That said, when I ask him to be in charge, no one questions his authority (okay, Molly questions it...but, she questions everyone's authority).  He never pulls an authoritative attitude, but generally comes up with quite fair compromises.  He is happiest when everyone is getting along, which shows a wisdom beyond his years.

I mentioned earlier that Dom was not super keen about art.  Except when it comes to recreating sports paraphenalia.  He made a few jerseys and copied the cycling teams logos from the Tour de France as well as free hands many teams from the NCAA Tournament so that he can complete his brackets for the walls of our house.  And he is getting pretty good.  I will take some credit for this as it was my refusal to print off all of the teams that led to his creativity.  #artclass #homeschool

Speaking of brackets, he has taken Li'l John under his wing.  And not just introducing him to bracketology.  It is neat to see their relationship as it is unique to all others in the house.  Will and Molly are still playmates with John on some level.  But, Dom is more of a mentor and he watches over John.  We had a scary few minutes over the summer when John escaped our backyard, and ever since then, Dom has been vigilant about knowing where John is at all times.  And the same kindness that other younger kids experience with Dominic, John basks in it. 

We are so proud of you, Dominic Joseph!  You have a beautiful smile and attitude to go with it.  I am always grateful that you will find me at my worst and offer to give me a hug.  Your insight into human nature is something I am always amazed at and you teach me daily how to see the better side of situations.  You are brave and clever and genuinely a nice kid to be around.  We are all very happy to know you and spend our days with you.

Today, I thank God for the decade of your life (plus 1 day) and the years to come.  Never change...except to slow down once in a while to think before you speak.  You are one cool kid and we hope you have a wonderful birthday week and an even better year!