Nine

One year left in the single digits for our Christopher Lewis. As I say frequently, birthdays always take me by surprise. I mean, isn't Clare still nine? 

Christopher is in third grade, and the year has started off fairly well. He was worried before school started, but has been happy to go (most) days and his teacher reports that he is doing very well. He is in a first, second, third grade combination class, and his leadership skills have emerged this year. I think this may be partly due to some newfound independence - we let him roam the neighborhood with his friends this summer. 

Christopher is still as sweet as ever. He told me to make a list for my birthday (which is 12 days following his) and is very concerned about when my party is going to be. He likes to sit on my lap and snuggle, and even though he is getting quite tall and doesn't fit as well as he used to, I am not about to say no. He still wants to make money (he is currently saving up for an ice cream maker, which he thinks he is going to use to sell ice cream to the neighbors). He held a lemonade stand on his own during the neighboring school's large festival in September. He made $21, which he was pretty pleased with. I had COVID, so I watched from inside as he tried to charm passersby. 

Christopher has great fun running around the neighborhood with Jackson, Owen, and Colin, all neighbors. The three boys joined us for pizza and ice cream cake last night, which was Christopher's request for his birthday dinner. He has lots of friends at school as well, although they seem to be ever-changing. He gets along with most everybody, which is a good skill to have. 

Oh, I almost forgot the biggest change since last year! Christopher has become a vegetarian. While we were at the State Fair this summer, Christopher was able to pet a baby pig and see many other animals. After that, he decided he could no longer eat them. It is a pain, I admit, but I am trying to support his choice. Clare joined him for awhile, but she is already back on the meat wagon. Our whole family is now eating less meat, which isn't a bad thing, I suppose. (It is hard for me because of my plethora of food allergies.) 

Christopher plays the violin, reluctantly most of the time, but he plays well. He is in Cub Scouts, which I have mixed feelings about. He played baseball this summer and will play basketball this winter. He loves swimming, which is a nice change from when he was younger. Reading and playing video games are his two favorite hobbies. He is currently reading the Harry Potter series, and he received a few video games for his birthday. His favorite video games are Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Roblox, and Minecraft. He is into Pokemon cards and trading hockey cards with his friend Jackson. (I don't think he knows anything about hockey. He's been to some U of M women's games, but that's about it. But still, I guess the trading is fun for him.) He likes camping, and has even started to like going on hikes. (Although he still brings up a scary hike we did in Glacier last year and how much he hated it.) He also enjoys riding his bike and his scooter. 

Some likes at nine: Books, especially the Amulet Series, Big Nate, Diary of Wimpy Kid and Harry Potter; the aforementioned video games;four square, kickball, gaga ball, basically anything with a playground ball; playing with his friends and cousins; not eating meat. 

Some dislikes: Practicing violin; cleaning his room; when his class is too rowdy at school; when Clare annoys him on purpose (shocking); sharing personal information about himself in a group setting ("It is not their business!"); eating meat. 

He was given some new video games and books for his birthday, so as soon as he gets home from school he will be all set to spend some time on his two favorite hobbies. Then I'll have to tell him to practice his violin. A typical day. Christopher, happy birthday. We love you so much!