Today is our Jack’s 11th birthday! We are making the best of the day but I thought I’d share 11 things about him to celebrate, with his approval of course.

1. Jack loves sports and is super competitive. It doesn’t matter what sport it is, Jack loves to play. He is never happier than when he is outside or in a gym playing a sport. Right now, he plays golf and is on a swim, basketball, and baseball team.

2. Jack is a very social kid! He loves to see his friends every day. I think one of the reasons he enjoys school is that he gets to see his friends. He’s a great friend and will stand by his buds no matter what.

3. He has the best laugh. Jack won’t laugh at just anything, but when we get him giggling you can’t help but join in. **Note to self – record that giggle next time he does it. I’ll be happy to have that sound forever.**

4. Jack is very particular about his clothes/style. He knows what he likes and does not stray from it. It always involves shorts and a sporty shirt, jersey, or sweatshirt. He’s always been like this. For the longest time, his socks didn’t match and he didn’t care what anyone thought. He grew a mullet and then decided when it was time to cut it off.

Jack likes to be dressed for the occasion. If he’s playing golf, he’s wearing a collared shirt and a golf hat. If he’s playing baseball, he’ll put on a baseball jersey or baseball pants. If he’s playing basketball, always a jersey. If he’s playing soccer, he’s wearing a soccer kit. And all of those sports are taking place in our yard. It makes for a lot of laundry some days, but Jack Parsons is all in when it comes to dressing the part.

5. Jack is an excited traveler with curiosity about the world. He is always excited to go somewhere new. He loves to fly, just not the takeoff! He’s good at exploring when we visit somewhere new – museums, cities, beaches, anything. He always gets excited about upcoming trips. He tries to learn about places we are going so he’s ready to make the most of it.

6. Jack is a hat guy! When he was a baby, we always put a hat on him. I guess he got used to hats and now he loves them. His hat collection is growing rapidly. Hats are his go-to souvenir at an event and I don’t mind it because I know he’ll wear them.

7. Jack is a good reader, but numbers are his jam! Math makes so much sense in his brain and it always has. He loves to make and figure out challenging problems.

8. Jack’s memory is so good and it always has been. His capacity for trivia blows my mind sometimes. He can tell us about things that happened before he was born if he’s heard someone talk about it, mostly sports related. When he was little (under 3), we used to play this game where Jeff would hide bowling pins for Jack and then Jack would hide them for Jeff. Jack could tell us most of the places that Jeff had ever hid each bowling pin.

9. Jack loves to read magazines! He prefers sports magazines, of course. His favorites are SI Kids and Golf Magazine. He will read each issue over and over again before he’d pick up a book.

10. Jack is afraid of heights, but I can always challenge him. He loves roller coasters, but doesn’t love waiting in line. In fact, a few years ago we were waiting in line and the announcement said “First up, an 80 foot drop”. Well, that just about did Jack in. I made him ride it because I knew he would love it. He got on and had the greatest time!! My sister and I made him climb up all 114 steps in the Hilton Head lighthouse. He was scared, but was so proud of himself when we got up there. I love that Jack doesn’t let his fears hold him back. Last summer we went to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Our first stop was Clingman’s Dome, the highest point in the park. Jack was terrified but determined to make it to the top, even if it meant crawling on his hands and knees.

11. Jack is great with younger kids. At school, he is on Safety Patrol and is a kindergarten helper. He is so confident and does a great job getting his group of 15 kids to parent pick up every afternoon. The kindergarteners love him! It is so sweet to see. Jack also does a great job cheering on the little kids on our swim team. He is going to be such a great big buddy this summer.

That’s our Jack! We love him so!! Happy birthday buddy!
I hope you have a great day full of sunshine and books!