This time next week, Quinn will be 12. My little, Mighty Quinn.
As the boys all get older, it's really fascinating for me to watch their personalities develop. I typed change there first, as in their personalities change, but that's not right. They aren't changing at all as much as becoming more sharply defined. Quinn's personality could possibly be my favorite of the 4 right now (at least most of the time).
Quinn has always been a nurturer. He puts other people first. Always. I think that's one of the reasons he has so many friends at school. It makes him a dream at home. 90% of the time he's willing to fill a glass for one of his brothers or share his snacks. He brings me water without asking and never EVER complains when we ask him to take out a dog or feed the cat. He, honestly, cares about the people around him. That empathy will serve him well as the years go by. Our goal is to make sure he's also nurturing himself.
Maybe the biggest surprise for me this year with Quinn is the work he's doing in the 6th grade. He's always been a smart kid, but he's been an A/B student - mostly Bs. That's OK. He was trying and doing the work. He wasn't skipping assignments or blowing off his responsibilities. He just seemed to "get" somewhere around 85% of the stuff he was taught. Honestly, I was prepared for middle school to be a tough adjustment for him. I thought we'd struggle. I figured there would be more Bs and more challenges to get him through his work. I was SO wrong. He's blowing doors off the 6th grade. He's got nearly straight As. His confidence in his school work is obvious and he clearly takes pride in what he's accomplished. I loved Quinn as an A/B student (of course), but this newfound competence is just a lovely surprise. When I asked him how he was doing it, he just smiled and said that the teachers are more strict, so he doesn't have time to mess around anymore. Whatever the cause, I'll take the results.
A few month ago Quinn decided to try out for the percussion team in his band. He loves it and it's a really good fit for him. For fun Quinn plays lots of video games and other assorted things on his phone. He is oddly addicted to watching youtube videos of other people playing video games. I don't get that... at all! Quinn's also still playing lacrosse and this winter decided to play basketball, which he has really enjoyed. We even got him a basketball hoop which he uses almost daily to burn off some energy.
I'm actually not sure where Q gets his energy because he still eats next to nothing. He's a pasta guy through and through and will take veggies over meat almost every time. We struggle to get protein in him and are very thankful he's decided drinking Muscle Milk is an OK think to do. He has one every evening along with his microwaved hot pretzel before settling in with Bob and I to watch some TV. He's very predictable, which is actually very comforting.
I am excited to see what changes this year brings for our Mighty. This time of year, between his birthday and Congenital Heart Defect Awareness week, I always stop for a bit to remind myself how lucky we are to have this child in our lives. We could have easily been down a different path and I thank God that things have worked out this way. I can't imagine life without my Quinn Quinn.
We are celebrating Quinn's birthday with a little family dinner - and chocolate cake of course - this weekend. I wish him the happiest of happy birthdays and can't wait to celebrate being 12 with him!
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