Every Eleventh with Little Buddy: June 2022

School has ended, summer has started, but have we slowed down? Absolutely not! Summer brings fun, but also its own challenges. Lots has been going on around here!

First things first, Little Buddy finished up his first year of middle school and we couldn't be prouder. He handled the transition really well and developed close relationships with his teachers and aides. We are so happy with his progress and the people he is with!

Enjoying the last week of school and pajama day!

Yearbooks are in!

We were also surprised (and delighted!) to receive an invitation to the end of year awards ceremony at Little Buddy's school. Turns out, Little Buddy earned All A Honor Roll for the year! We were stunned but so pleased that the school recognizes that Little Buddy's coursework is as challenging to him as his classmates' coursework is to them!

So proud!

Last day of 6th grade! Proud of our Not-So-Little-Anymore Buddy!

And then we dove headfirst into summer. We had Memorial Day weekend, Little Sister had swim meets, Little Buddy had birthday pictures, boating season began, VBS started, and we had some big fun at an Astros game, all before our boy turned 12 on the 11th! Not to mention all the regular errands and activities we try to do during the summer!

Happy Memorial Day!

A supportive Big Brother cheering on Little Sister at her Swim Meet!

Happy to be back on the lake!

All the errands and usual summer business: Target trips, park playing, swimming at the pool, and haircuts!

Ready for VBS! Little Buddy got to be my assistant at the games station again this year!

He always loves VBS!

We were also treated to an amazing experience this month! Our friend, Mr. R, works for the Seattle Mariners and sadly couldn't come with the team when they traveled to Houston this month. However, when Mr. R told one of the players he couldn't come and told him he was sad to not to see Little Buddy, this pitcher said, "Well, I want to meet him!" So that's how we got a personal invite from a major league pitcher to batting practice and a game!

Little Buddy was so excited!

Hanging out with Penn Murfee on the field!

Great time at the game!

And then it was time time to gear up for someone's 12th birthday! Because we obviously like to overwhelm ourselves, we also scheduled our annual Lemonade Stand benefiting the Cure Sanfilippo Foundation on his birthday.

Daddy met us after VBS on Friday for a pre-birthday lunch at House of Pies.

Last night as an 11 year old!

Birthday pie and presents are ready!

Birthday boy! It was actually really fun to celebrate his birthday at the Lemonade Stand. So many people came by to say hi!

Hot, but surrounded by friends!

Happy Birthday, Little Buddy!

First round of present opening!

Birthday pie time!

More presents!

Our favorite 12 year old!

We were so happy that Pop-Pop and Mimi came in to celebrate too!

Height and Weight

Well, that pesky tooth fell out and someone is eating well again! All of that worry and now we're eating just fine. He weighed in at 99.6 pounds today, so we'll keep up the healthy fats, but I am hoping we see a significant shift in his weight number soon.

Eat, eat, eat!

Personality

Overall, very calm and happy. He's also a big fan of sleeping in now that school's out (on days we don't have camps or appointments, that is).

Love this face!

Developmental Changes

It's amazing how one little thing can change so many body systems. Since the loss of Little Buddy's baby tooth and the addition of his high fat and high fiber diet, he's gaining weight, less agitated, sleeping better, and regulated his GI. We are so thankful that the month of difficulty he went through seems to have passed. We'll take all the good days we can get!

Fun Tidbits

As always, our photographer managed to capture the essence of our Little Buddy in his annual photo shoot. We love this boy and love these yearly memories of his growth.