Quick post about TLC

Most years I am ready for school to start up again, but this year I am amazed at how unprepared I am.  I just finished clearing away last year's teacher websites off our computer and added bookmarks to the new, and it hit me again that summer really was just a few short weeks.  TLC's teacher has asked parents to write a letter about each student in her class, so I'm going to get a few ideas out here.  Wish I had time to do the same for each kid, but at least here's a start.

TLC is our second child and the firstborn son in our family.  He's named after his dad, as well as both grandfathers.  When he was born, we were living in Texas, where his dad was working for a law clerk for a federal judge.  We lived there until he was 2 1/2, and then we moved Utah.

TLC's a younger brother to RVC, and a big brother to SCC (9), CAC (7), and MEC (5).  To his sisters, he's mostly a tease, knowing just what buttons to push to make them scream, cry, or both.  "Hero or Goat?" is something his dad often asks when TLC has been the source of trouble around the house.   I’d say that he mostly sees his behavior as all in fun and while he's lately more goat than hero, we do see moments of harmony.  They get along best when we’re doing things together like camping, skiing, swimming, playing games, hiking, or spending time at the cabin.

Where he falls short in sister love, TLC more than makes up in the way he treats his little brother.  Everything they do together is fun--wrestling, laundry put-away races, playing trains, taking stuffed-animal inventory.  MEC sure misses having his buddy around now that he's back in school.

TLC is smart and analytical, not so much a pleaser in school, but super competitive with himself and others.  It took him a while to get into reading.  Last summer, though, he gave the Harry Potter books a shot, and soon took off with series after series.  He was more driven in reading than anything else in 4th grade.  Lately, TLC has made some great progress as pianist, with a particular talent in memorizing and transposing songs he likes into new keys.  He doesn't love to write, but is a creative kid nonetheless.  If he would take the time to write out some of the stories and anecdotes he comes up with on the spot, he'd discover that he's pretty talented in that area as well.

We've had some close-call experiences with TLC.  A couple of years ago, he was skiing with his mom and sister and took a fall over a roped off area and had to be braced to a toboggan, towed down the mountain, and then transported by ambulance down to the hospital before we knew he was cleared of any spine or neck injury.  We were lucky to walk away from that without any problems.  Last year he suffered a minor concussion while playing soccer at recess.  In the spring, he got a permanent front tooth knocked out during a baseball game.  And just a few weeks ago this summer, he got shot in the eye with a hard-pressured spray from a homemade water rocket launcher.  TLC and I have had some good talks about how he's had some scary experiences, and yet he's been blessed to walk away from them so far.  He's beginning to understand the importance of not taking his life and health for granted and of using his head, taking a minute to consider consequences of his actions.

TLC's a really good kid.  He still needs frequent reminders to make his actions consistent with what he wants in life, but he certainly has a lot to offer the world.  We love having him in our family.