10 YEARS OLD

 Samuel Jacob! You're officially Double Digits!! I can't believe how quickly you're growing up.

At ten years old, you are intelligent, curious, ambitious, thoughtful, and adventurous. 

You are thriving at homeschool. Your best subject is math, but I think you're favorite subject is science. Your weakest subject is spelling. You absorb everything you hear and read and shoot off incredible facts to me all the time. I'm regularly shocked at the things you know. Math comes easily to you and you rarely struggle to understand new concepts. When you finish school for the day, you like to play outside, play with the Pashkovets, watch YouTube and build, create or solve puzzles. 

You thrive being outside in nature and in the dirt. You come up with new ideas for shelters to build, and things to make. I'll always remember your dirty fingernails as a 10-year-old because you're always digging in the dirt. You have grand ideas in your head and can usually come up with a way to execute them. You also like to solve any and all kinds of puzzles- jigsaw, logic, brain teasers, you love them all and will spend hours solving them. 

Your favorite TV shows are YouTube Channels- Dude Perfect, Mark Rober, and Mr. Beast and Phineas and Ferb.  You also like to play Minecraft and Mario games on the Switch. 

You're a well rounded kid in a lot of activities. You're still taking weekly gymnastics classes. You started Trail Life this year and are enjoying that (and looking forward to being a bit older to participate in more things). You also started piano lessons this year and you played basketball this winter. You are such a content kid and enjoy everything you get to do. 

Your favorite foods are cereal, pizza, fruit, ravioli and mac and cheese. You're not a big sweets person and are picky on what desserts you like- your favorite is cheesecake and least favorite is anything chocolate. 

You love to be around animals and are taking good care of your pet rabbit, Hannah. You're drawn to any animals you encounter and have a sweet, gentleness around them. 

At your 10 year old well check you measured 53 inches tall and weighed 73 lbs. 

You still prefer to play alone often but have developed some good friendships. Your best friends are Leon and Asher, and you enjoy playing with several kids at our co op. 

Your favorite books are Dog Man. You also enjoy the Humphrey the Hamster series, Land of Stories, and you read a lot of the Percy Jackson books this year. You listen to audiobooks as often as you're allowed too. 

You are a very creative, detailed artist and you put 100% effort and work into anything you create. You never cut corners. 

You have a unique relationship with each of your siblings and are such a gift to our family. I always say that one thing I love about you is that you're not afraid to set big goals and you're never afraid of a challenge. You try hard things and persevere until you complete them. I know that will be one of your greatest assets as you grow up. We love you so much Samuel Jacob. What a blessing to have had you in our lives for a full decade!