Ralph: Celebrating 9 years!

With Ralph's birthday being on Monday this year he ended up with a 3-day celebration!  Saturday morning was spent at Laser Tag with some friends.  They played 2 games of laser tag, received some game tokens, and had pizza.  What more could a boy want?  Ralph was quite happy with the party.

Sunday afternoon brought the get-together with Grandma and Grandpa, opening gifts, and enjoying cake!  A few weeks ago it became very clear the cake should be Harry Potter themed.  Luckily, my friend/our go-to cake person was game to try her 1st Harry Potter cake.  It turned out great.  She nailed it!

  He is thinking about the wish he should make . . . Whatever it was, I hope it comes true for him . . .

For a few days before his birthday he'd ask about specific gifts and whether or not he was getting them . . .finally the time had come to find out what was hiding under the gift wrap!

 

 Ralph received many Harry Potter themed gifts and books.

  . . . . AND this is Ralph, officially 9 years old today!  The 1st day of spring was a nice day - I was curious how much he had grown since the start of school.  The answer is a little but not much.

In general Ralph is wearing either size 10 jeans or pants and a mix of M (7/8) and L (10/12) pants depending on brand and style.  He is moving into size 10 shirt sizes or L (10/12) along with M depending on brand.  Shoe size is 1.5Y - same shoes he has had since the beginning of school.

He is continues to branch out a little bit on sampling food - he will try most foods at least once.  He has learned to complain less and just try it.  He'll even say something is pretty good (or not bad) but that doesn't usually means he wants anymore.

He remains on the "beyond" spelling list and up until the week before last had not missed any words on spelling tests the whole year.  Most of the time mistakes on tests are careless. This test was no exception.  Hopefully he learns to slow down.  Current math topics include fractions.  He has worked on multiplication and division in the last six months as well . . . that's another topic they teach a bit than I remember.  It is kind of amazing how problems can be solved differently and still get the same answer.

He continues to be infatuated with the Harry Potter series.  After reading all 7 books in two weeks (and that might be generous) he would go back through and read favorite parts.  I asked him which book likes the most and which one the least.  He showed me which books have the most creases in the spine.  He told me how he likes book #5 the least then he pulled the book and opened it up.  He started reading and starts crying because the part he is reading is sad because Harry's godfather is dying and Harry had just found out who he was in book #3.  As much as I think Ralph reads quickly and possibly skims I think about this moment.  He knew where he wanted to start reading to me to illustrate why he didn't like the book as much as the others.  I think its amazing he can feel the emotion in the book.  About a month ago he started watching the movies.


His current activities continue to be basketball twice a week, cub scouts twice a month for the den meetings and once a month for the pack meetings, and CCD once a week. 

He hasn't outgrown being read to - and would love it if it happened more.


Here are some of Ralph's favorites -

Fruit: blueberries
Food: pancakes with blueberry sauce made by grandma
Drink: strawberry milk
Book: Harry Potter series
Movie: Harry Potter series
School subject: Computers
School lunch: Salisbury Steak