We love our newly minted eight year old! Gilbert got to celebrate his birthday four times this year, but admittedly, Patrick and I did very little for him this year. He got a new backpack from us (but it was a hand-me-down from a friend) and he wanted to keep his old, falling apart backpack, but we told him that was Harlan’s new backpack for school. He did get a motherlode of baseball cards, some batting gloves, new socks and shirts, and some remote control vehicles. All in all, he can’t complain. He’s grown into a helpful older brother to Harlan, volunteering to push him in the stroller, read to him, and generally help him out. When he couldn’t eat dinner the night of his birthday because he felt awful, we realized it’s his tradition to miss a day the first week of school, right around his birthday. As you know, he rallied though, and made it to school. His spirit can’t be beat!
Academic Leigh Speaking 