Just Jack

Oh, man.  9 is a great age.  9 is happy and thoughtful and sweet and funny and takes itself very seriously.  I am really glad to have two more 9's waiting in the wings, but I have to say, Jack wears it particularly well.

Because we are terrible parents, we tried to talk him out of being in Cub Scouts, especially with the addition of rec hockey to his life.  But, alas, he would not budge.  And, really, I guess he shouldn't have budged because look how happy and careful he is making his Pinewood Derby car:

 Here he is ready to watch the Alabama/Georgia game

 And all dressed for school showing off his pattern-matching skills.

The other day he had homework and sat down at the kitchen table and taught me 2 new strategies for triple-digit addition based on the notes he took at school.  So capable and grown up!  My favorite thing right now is that he takes time every morning to "do his spritzes," a phrase he coined that means put on all of the colognes and body sprays.  I gag a little sending him off to school, but he feels great in his cloud of scent-- you can just tell.

Jack is a terrific kid, and I wish I had more time to spend with just him.  When Harry has a late hockey practice and the other kids have gone to bed, Jack and I have so much fun watching Netflix-- we have the same interest in TV from The Good Place to Bob's Burgers to Zumbo's Just Desserts.  He also loves to cook and is getting really good at it.  Part of that is Jack being wonderful and part of it is 9's eagerness to please.

Moms in the little-kid trenches, get excited because 9 is coming to you, and it's lovely.