This post is coming out about a week later then intended, but the world is a strange place right now as we are all hunkered down during the 2020 corona virus (COVID-19) pandemic. I couldn’t let a year go by without doing this since it’s become somewhat of a tradition (see years 8, 7, 6, and 4 ), so here’s my annual blog post for Landon’s birthday. I now have a 9-year-old so here’s 9 Things I LOVE About Landon.
1. He’s a helpful big brother.
Landon’s a life-saver in this department. At the time of writing this we are all stuck at home during the 2020 Corona Virus Pandemic, and I need Landon’s help a lot. He’ll hold and entertain the baby, get Kiera to do things she’s refusing to do when I ask her, and of course he plays with Liam constantly. They are the best of friends, which warms my heart, and I hope continues forever.
2. He’s super motivated and persistent.
Whether it’s perfecting his most recent “Dude Perfect” basketball trick shot, building the next “Lego Masters” creation, drawing Kobe Bryant, or editing his latest fiction story, Landon is always working to improve on his hobbies, sports, or school assignments.
3. He’s independent (but not too independent).
As a first born there will always be a part of him that seeks the company and approval of others, but his growing sense of independence is so rewarding to watch as a parent. He begs us to let him walk to school alone in the morning (not yet Buddy!), and in the summers in the Chicago suburbs he loves riding his bike everywhere on his own. He’s very opinionated in what he likes and doesn’t like when it comes to his fashion choices, especially his shoes (which has been a constant over the years – see My 7 Favorite Things I LOVE About Landon), and he will work on his homework without too many questions (although he does still ask if I can check his work).
4. He’s hilarious.
The things this kid thinks of . . . and it’s not like he doesn’t know he’s being funny. I’m really enjoying this part of him growing up. Check him out in this video of helping with my most recent belly mold.
5. He wears his emotions.
From the shock of recently finding out how babies are made to the sadness of striking out at on the baseball mound to the joy of winning a chess game, Landon’s face shows it all. I love it because I can always tell how he’s feeling. I don’t have to dig too much to know how what’s up, and I really appreciate that – it keeps things easy.
6. He’s more confident than he realizes.
I love watching his confidence build and this past year it has surprised me in so many ways. We went to watch him in a performance for his theater class at school earlier this year. My husband, who told me he always dreaded acting as a kid, couldn’t believe it when Landon nailed his lines and even stepped up to stand in for a missing student. Although I was impressed by his confidence, I was not shocked by it, as I have always been quite theatrical myself. On the other hand, I am overly impressed by his confidence in sports – from not being afraid to pitch the closing inning of a championship baseball game to playing basketball with kids 2-3 years older than him.
7. He’s handsome.
Okay, so this sounds superficial. But for real, the kid isn’t bad to look at, and his smile is infectious. He resembles my husband as a kid a lot (with my nose and smile), which makes sense why I think he’s good looking.
8. He has amazing friends.
I’ve always thought Landon had great friends, and then the following happened . . . Landon was supposed to take a small group of friends to to a Los Angeles Angels game with us for his birthday. Since the MLB postponed their season due to the pandemic, I texted all the moms of the kids invited and let them know his party wouldn’t be happening anytime soon. I mentioned if they wanted to drive by our house on his actual birthday we’d come out and say hello. My girlfriend took it a step further, removed me from the group, and organized a full on birthday parade. You can watch it in this Instagram post. I think the fact that these families showed up is not only a testament to how wonderful his friends are but also what a good friend Landon is as well.
9. He still LOVES me.
Okay, this is hopefully obvious, but as a mom, it’s everything. Because he is so independent, motivated, and helpful, I often let him do his own thing while I take care of his siblings. The great thing about being stuck at home during this corona virus pandemic is I’ve had a chance to hang with him more. Whenever he has the chance (when his dad is out of town or has fallen asleep on the couch), he’ll ask if he can sleep with me. This is why I almost always say yes – I never know when he’ll stop asking, and I have a feeling it might be sooner rather than later (although I’m crossing my fingers that it’s later – much later).
You know I could keep going, right? I am his mom after all. Until next year . . .
