This boy entered the double digits last week. He is 10. Cuh-razy.
And yes, that is the Christmas tree peeking out in the background. We don't usually leave it up this long, but I'm rolling with it. I decorated it with party hats.
His birthday fell on Saturday which helped to make it truly the best birthday a kid could ask for . . . donuts for breakfast, presents, Wendy's for lunch, video games all afternoon, hamburgers & hot dogs for dinner. Not to mention having Papa Dan and Grammer Teresa in town for a quick visit. AND getting to finish off the lid of the Serendipity treasure chest. (We wrapped it in tin foil and have saved it in our fridge all this time!)
10 scoops of ice cream in honor of his 10th birthday . . . .
Another highlight was having a larger cheering section at his basketball game. Anna whipped this up during the game
So . . . I thought I would take a minute to share 10 things about Payton right now
1. He looooves bacon. If you ask him to choose a place to eat he'll probably say Wendy's so he can order the Son of Baconator. So that's where we went for lunch on his birthday. When we go to McDonald's he adds bacon to his Happy Meal hamburger. And if it's available, he'll throw a strip of bacon on his hot dog.
(the poor boys' eyes were all watery & puffy that day -- getting over a cold)
2. When I reach down for a hug, oftentimes he'll jump up and give me one of his awesome monkey hugs. It's a good thing he only weighs 60 pounds so we can still do this!
3. Recently he memorized all the counties and county seats in Nevada (part of a 4th grade challenge). He used a little tune to help him with the memorization - smart idea. But my favorite was when he got near the end of the list and couldn't resist a little hip-shaking dance to go along with Washoe / Reno.
(Note - the test for memorization was not an oral one, hence his pronunciation of the counties comes from whatever his 10 year old mind could decipher. This one's all about the written recognition. I myself only discovered last year that Ely is pronounced "EE-lee")
4. He is reading the 39 Clues book series and loves it.
5. Payton is a pretty content kid. He asks so little of us and he is easily pleased. Really, he has the best excited/thank-you faces on the planet. Because of this I often find myself picking up little treats or surprises at the store (chocolate milk, bacon, footed pajamas, etc.) just because I know it will make him happy.
6. He loves anything Ninjago and Pokemon
7. Every Sunday morning he likes to watch Dogs 101 on Animal Planet. And when Super Bowl Sunday came around he began reminding me days in advance that he wanted to watch the Puppy Bowl. He said it was great, as well as the kitty half-time show.
8. Many nights Payton will announce that he is going to bed on his own or he will simply disappear and we'll find him asleep in his bed. He's good at knowing when he's tired and just takes care of business.
9. He has a funny little habit right now where he is always playing with his lower lip and tongue -- folding, squishing, etc. He recently discovered that he can do a taco tongue. Maybe that has something to with it.
10. We can always count on Payton for comic relief. A lot of the time it is subtle, but when he gets into one of his routines, though, he can be ultra-animated, loud, and intense.
We sure do love this kid. On his birthday we pulled out some old family movies and watched him crawl, babble, and laugh through his first year. He is getting more and more helpful these days and I love it. And still, he happily holds my hand on the walk to school each day. Love him! Happy Birthday, P!
