max at twelve

This year, Max had real trouble when people asked what he wanted for his birthday. He said he was interested in some video games, but not enough to want people to spend money on them. He is always in the market for new hooded sweatshirts, he said (and it's true; that kid has an endless array of hoodies), but he wasn't excited about that either. Basically, he told me, he is happy with what he has, and he doesn't really need anything else. In the end, he asked for money for his (woefully inadequate) college fund, which made us proud of him and grateful to everyone who contributed.

At 12, our Max is still the sly charmer of the bunch. He makes friends easily, has patience for miles (as long as your name isn't Liam or Henry), and makes everyone around him feel welcome and happy. He has a core group of best friends who have been together since they started school, but he also has a wide and ever-growing circle of other friends. Trust me, it's impossible to escape his charm when he gives you that impish smile.

Max is setting his own path at school, too. He is in advanced classes for every subject, but he's definitely showing a preference for language over math. (This could be because he's not a fan of his math teacher, but it also could be that he just isn't a math person. I guess only time will tell.) He still loves reading — every morning when I go upstairs to collect laundry and turn off lights (sheesh, boys!) I find at least three or four books in his bed because he loves to lay in bed and read. He needs to work on the cleanup/organizational aspects of life, but I'm a lot more forgiving when the mess is books.

This year, Max has taken some major steps toward finding his voice. After a crushing defeat in fifth grade, this year he was easily elected to the student council, and he's had a blast helping with everything from penny wars (this is a coin-based fundraiser they do at school) to assembling Val-o-grams, which he is doing this week in anticipation of Valentine's Day. He also joined the service club this year, which involves doing things like running the concession stand at sporting events. Every time I pick him up after one of these things, I find that he's more talkative and animated than usual. He really likes being part of everything — and telling us all about it. He continues to love spending time with his younger cousins, and he still wants to be a teacher when he grows up. And on the physical side, not only did he join Mike and Liam for the whole 30 miles of Bike the Drive this year, but he also hiked the challenging Ramsey Cascade Trail with Mike while we were in Gatlinburg.

Today is a snow day, so school is closed. Max is spending the day curled up in a blanket, reading and playing video games and bickering with his brothers and cuddling with his dog. Ah, to be 12 again!

Happy birthday, Max! We love you, and we can't wait to see what the next year brings.