It seems that I blinked a few times, and our second child turns ten today! Bubby was my first natural birth, and the child who taught me about allergies, gut health, and animals. His learning patterns have always left us in awe. Ever since he taught himself to read Trout, trout, trout at the age of four, he has gone through periods of obsession when he wants to learn something new. But his affinity for animals (their Latin names, locations, habits, places in the local food chains, families, etc.) hasn't waned since he was four.
This was the five year-old who realized that his Noah's Ark lineup had a grasshopper out of alphabetical order and had to properly place it before life could continue. And at seven, we made videos of him at zoos stating the full names of animals before he read the signs. He spends his free time poring over his five (or more?) animal encyclopedias. A new animal encyclopedia from Smithsonian is on his Amazon wish list, because the original copy is losing pages on both ends; it has been loved to death. This summer, he informed a UGA herpetology student that a hog nosed snake played dead, just as the grass snake that she was holding did. She snippily told him that the grass snake was the only snake that played dead. He humbly let it alone and didn't argue, even though we checked it on google after we left, and he was right. These were some proud parents. Smart and kind-- that's a boy.
A couple of years ago, Bubby's obsession with music took off during the CC segment on the orchestra. He started drawing orchestra layouts, listing orchestra families, and writing lists of "ABC instruments." Right now, his goal is to learn any instrument he can get his hands on. So far, piano, mandolin, accordion, recorder, tin whistle, and trumpet have made it to the list. Violin (he hopes to switch to viola) starts this year. Bassoon, piccolo, and euphonium are on his wish list.
Bubby is a taxonomist. He draws both sides of our family tree in detailed accuracy. Everything in his world is precise- except for his room. He is the master of creative messes. But when I ask him to tidy up, he matter-of-factly, and without regret, packs the outflow of his brain to the trash. I take pictures of things we want to remember, and a fraction of his studies remains in a binder for keepsake. He is intense; things are black and white for him. He presses for details; we are amazed and exhausted to be his parents.
Last week, I found this lying face-down in a corner. I asked Bubby what it was, and he replied, "a list of endangered species". More brain outflow. He had to research several encyclopedias and compile this list from individual animals that he found with "endangered" labels... page after page.
New Daddy and I often conjecture at what Bubby will do in life. At ten years, his current list of possible occupations includes marine biologist, ornithologist, and orchestral musician.
Time for pictures!
Summer portraits- May 2008 - 21 months old
Tallulah Gorge Overlook - Summer 2009 - 3 years old
Fall portraits - November 2010 - 4 years old
Summer Portraits - August 2014 - 7 years old
This was the five year-old who realized that his Noah's Ark lineup had a grasshopper out of alphabetical order and had to properly place it before life could continue. And at seven, we made videos of him at zoos stating the full names of animals before he read the signs. He spends his free time poring over his five (or more?) animal encyclopedias. A new animal encyclopedia from Smithsonian is on his Amazon wish list, because the original copy is losing pages on both ends; it has been loved to death. This summer, he informed a UGA herpetology student that a hog nosed snake played dead, just as the grass snake that she was holding did. She snippily told him that the grass snake was the only snake that played dead. He humbly let it alone and didn't argue, even though we checked it on google after we left, and he was right. These were some proud parents. Smart and kind-- that's a boy.
A couple of years ago, Bubby's obsession with music took off during the CC segment on the orchestra. He started drawing orchestra layouts, listing orchestra families, and writing lists of "ABC instruments." Right now, his goal is to learn any instrument he can get his hands on. So far, piano, mandolin, accordion, recorder, tin whistle, and trumpet have made it to the list. Violin (he hopes to switch to viola) starts this year. Bassoon, piccolo, and euphonium are on his wish list.
Bubby is a taxonomist. He draws both sides of our family tree in detailed accuracy. Everything in his world is precise- except for his room. He is the master of creative messes. But when I ask him to tidy up, he matter-of-factly, and without regret, packs the outflow of his brain to the trash. I take pictures of things we want to remember, and a fraction of his studies remains in a binder for keepsake. He is intense; things are black and white for him. He presses for details; we are amazed and exhausted to be his parents.
Last week, I found this lying face-down in a corner. I asked Bubby what it was, and he replied, "a list of endangered species". More brain outflow. He had to research several encyclopedias and compile this list from individual animals that he found with "endangered" labels... page after page.
New Daddy and I often conjecture at what Bubby will do in life. At ten years, his current list of possible occupations includes marine biologist, ornithologist, and orchestral musician.
Time for pictures!
Smiles at 2 months
7 months
Surfside Beach, SC - Christmas 2007 - 16 months
Trout he helped New Daddy catch at Davidson River Campground - September 2012 - 6 years old
"House" he built out of my CC memory work displays
His first tae kwon do tournament - April 2015 - 8 years old
As St. Patrick (Maewyn Succat) for Faces of History - March 2016 - 9 years old
Comments