Agent Isaac

Today this young man turns 12.



When Samuel joined our family, Katie and I were living in Provo in an apartment. I was in my final year of college, working two part-time jobs. It was a busy time, and as with many (all?) we felt like we had no idea what we were doing. I also came down with crohn's disease a few months after he was born, and that first year or so was kind of a blur. Now it seems so quaint to look back and remember having just one child to give all our attention to.

I think I'm coming around somewhat to the idea of birth order heavily influencing personality, because he seems to fit in there in the best way. Samuel is our helper, which shouldn't be a surprise. He has a good sense of responsibility and is often asking us how he can help. He can watch the other kids for us somewhat (we haven't left him with the other 3 kids for an extended period). James really loves Sam and often asks where he is. They play well together.



I remember one day when Sam was in first grade or so, I read him Happy Birthday to You by Dr. Seuss. He pointed out that there was no conflict in the book, something I hadn't even realized until he told me. Needless to say, his reading skills are off the charts. His recent standardized testing shows that he's reading at a 12th grade level and is in the 99th percentile. And while he doesn't think he's good at math, he is doing much harder work than I was at his age.

Samuel has a keen sense of justice and always has. He wants things to be fair, whether that is for his benefit or at his expense. He is scrupulously honest and never lied to us, even as a little kid to escape punishment. That means he also gets after his siblings when one of them is treating another one unfairly, which can lead to some contention.

One of Sam's most impressive achievements has been earning his black belt in taekwondo. He has stuck with his martial arts for four years now, even transitioning to a new studio when we moved. He's always thinking of how he could defend himself in different situations, and it's done wonders for his leadership abilities and fitness. He also decided to join band this year in school after talking with Katie. I was never in band, so I had no opinion (I don't want him trying to do too much, though), and he's started learning the trumpet. I think it's great, so long as he doesn't burn himself out with too many activities.

Samuel is everything you could hope for in a son. He's responsible and dependable, and someone I can always trust to look out for the little guy. Happy birthday, firstborn.


Comments

Lori said…
Happy birthday to him! What a smart and handsome kid!

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