Happy 15th Birthday, Ethan!

It’s not often that I blog about our oldest son, Ethan. He’s not cute and little anymore. He doesn’t say stupid things innocently so that I can have poignant teaching moments with him… Well, he doesn’t do that as often, and he would probably take exception to me announcing them to the world now that he’s all social media savvy and all.

Ethan has grown into quite the young man. Though he is only 15, he has already learned many of life’s most important lessons, mainly the ones about treating others as you would want to be treated - he excels at that. He has adjusted famously to having his life uprooted, moved to a new state, and started a high school where the lunchroom staff is larger than the entire population of his old school.

He enjoys playing soccer. He isn’t super gifted with size, but he is athletic, and FAST. And he’s learned to work hard and is not typically afraid to do so.

He is a good skier! I remember taking him to his first skiing lesson at Copper Mountain when he was three and a half years old. He belly-ached and picked his way down the hill. I didn’t think he’d ever really be any good at it. Now he schools me on the hill. He has to wait for me at the “slow” signs and is constantly looking to improve his technique and form by studying better skiers.

He has started to take a shine to the saxophone. Even though his old school didn’t have the resources to have a band until he was in 8th grade, he has still worked and persisted and is now enjoying success in his high school bands.

He has really improved his piano. He’s been in lessons for 8 or more years now, but until the last year he had been mainly marking time. Over the last 12 months his practice habits have improved drastically and his playing has improved in line. It’s really a lot of fun listening to him play.

He is a little bit vain! He doesn’t want to be fat (he’s not), and he wants to look strong (he is). He also has, bar none, the hairiest legs I think I’ve ever seen in person outside of the zoo…

He has turned into a very good student. Years of hounding and persistence by Jenny has made him either too afraid to fail, or has actually made him understand the benefits of succeeding in school. He’s carrying a 3.6 GPA after his first semester in public school and has even figured out how to improve it from there.

He’s respectful of his elders. Watching him interact with our friends or family is a joy. Gone are the awkward days of childhood where conversation had to be pulled from him. He has studied and mimicked some great conversationists, like his grandfathers and his mother.

I don’t get to say it very often, but I am very proud of Ethan. Each day he continues to surprise and delight me, and I couldn’t love him more.

Happy 15th Birthday, Ethan. In two weeks, I suspect I will be writing about an embarrassing pants wetting episode as he will have gotten his learner’s permit. Jenny has made it clear that I am the driving instructor in the family…