At 5'1" and roughly 80 pounds, you are a lean, keen, cross-country running and mountain-bike riding machine! Put you in the woods to run or ride, and you will go for miles. Daddy and I admire your ease at both activities, and look forward to trying to keep up with you! (Unfortunately your cross-country season ended early when your foot broke at the Halloween dance, but you've healed just fine and those feet keep growing!)
Getting you outside to enjoy the trails is a challenge at times because the allure of gaming with your friends is so strong. You have so much fun on the Xbox and do really well leading teams to victory... I hear you cheering and jeering in the basement (and it seems like at the end of it all everyone still gets along). You enjoy playing all sorts of games (some of which are impossible for me to follow because you move so fast!), and I am amazed at how intuitive the games are for you. You can just pick up a controller and within minutes you are on your way to leveling up.Your gamesmanship continues with a deck of cards. You and Daddy and Greta play round after round of blackjack or gin or hearts or spades or golf. We realized earlier this year that you have begun to count cards, which makes it very hard (again!) to keep up with you. You also continue to enjoy Dungeons & Dragons with Max and Esme and board games with Matthew, Allison and Emily. We love to hear you making memories with all of them as you laugh and play.
When you were not busy with fun and games this last year, there was lots happening at school. Before the abrupt end to the normal day-to-day routine, you were excelling in science and Spanish, as well as English and social studies, and doing a great job in advanced math. I think you surprised yourself with your star-student performance in technology, and of course you totally rocked music. This year you accepted the challenge of auditioning for Suburban Council, showed great discipline in learning your music, and sang to our delight. It was a wonderful concert, and I hope you continue to develop the gift that is your voice. We also enjoyed your saxophone performances, especially your jazz solos! You can simply pick it up and work out the tune to any tune in your head, and it makes beautiful music.
Yes, you were having a great 7th grade year, and you made the best of it when COVID-19 meant self-learning and school at home. You woke up early each day and diligently worked on your Chromebook until the daily tasks/meets were done. Then (until the weather improved) it was YouTube viewing (which involved a lot of funny dog videos, video game playing tips, and other "what were they thinking?!" short takes) alternating with some Xbox slaying. I admire your balance of work and play, and think it is going to serve you so well as you continue to grow.
And grow you will. Three inches taller in the last year alone, plus a couple of shoe sizes. But you also grew in compassion and dedication to this family. You were sitting beside me when I learned that Aunt Chris had died, and the love and hugs you gave me kept me afloat in that moment, and continued to do so in the dark days that followed, and the months since. I wish you had not had to grow up so quickly, and yet you now understand clearly how strong our love for one another is and what family is truly all about. A lesson learned in a way I would have preferred you not experience so soon, but one that will carry you through these teen years and beyond. You grew up so much on February 1st, and even more so in the months since.
We look forward to seeing where these teen years take you, Lincoln. We love you so much! Happy trails, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Happy (belated) birthday!
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