Eight is Great

Owen is eight years old!  His birthday was on the 7th, a Wednesday.  He has been excited ever since he realized that this was also Cub night.  His cub leader (akela) came over a week or so before his birthday to introduce the program to him and get him excited.  He listened very attentively and asked a lot of questions.  When she talked about how I would sew on his badges for him he piped up with, "I can sew them on myself!  I know how to sew."  He was also very interested to know if there was an art badge.  I like to watch him think through his strengths and abilities and apply them to other areas of life.   It was very sweet to watch him get invested.  He was very serious about the procedure, even though some of his friends in the cub troop were being a little silly at times.  The other boys were very sweet and welcoming and gave him hugs afterwards.  His cub leader told me the week after, at their next activity, that right in the middle of listening to a fireman telling them interesting things (they went to the firehall), Owen said, "I'm bored."  This is his fall-back statement at any time of day or night.  It's a cute thing to hear because it doesn't always mean he's bored.  Sometimes he just says it to fill the silence with words.  :-)

Owen chose this cake because it looks like an 8!  I had a lot of fun making it.  I used the same book as I used for the twins' cake, but had to make my own variations due to lack of some ingredients.

Owen is doing a lot of things in his young life right now.  He enjoys reading, and has just started reading Alice in Wonderland.  He is preparing for a little piano recital where he will play all the pieces he has learned in Suzuki Bk. 1.  Yesterday he wrote out a story to read which includes references to all the pieces.  He will read the story and play the pieces as they crop up in the story.  He picked George to give a gift to at Christmas, and is excited to make a toque out of black yarn for him.  He loves to make his brothers things--he gave Tommy an early birthday present that he made for him quite a while ago.  It is a coloring book!  We had out some modeling magic stuff (like clay and play dough) yesterday, and he began creating a scene from the Wizard of Oz--the tornado, the house, and the yellow brick road.  He learned "Stand for the Right" on the violin with his brothers to play in the primary presentation last week.  He bore his testimony in church on the Sunday before his birthday.  He was a bit nervous, so he wrote out a few things and then sat there saying them over and over to himself.  I told him if he felt prompted to, he could add more when he got up there.  He did add one more thing.  He is very excited about his upcoming baptism.  He talks about it often.  He didn't quite reach his goal of finishing the Book of Mormon before his birthday--he did make it a good part through 2nd Nephi though!!  He has  many friends and has a talent for making people feel welcomed.  He watches out for people and seeks to help them feel happy.  I went in the other night to put the boys to bed and Owen said, "Mom, I forgot to give you a neck rub on your birthday, can I do it now?"  He loves to give James neck rubs at night too.  Many a time when we come to bed, we will find a picture from Owen on our pillows.  He loves to play games.  One of his latest games with Tommy has been "horses in stables."  They make stables in my kitchen--using cupboard doors, chairs, cushions, etc.  They get themselves food--apples and water--and they have races around the table.  Jump ropes are the reins, and they give each other rides.  He's also really into lego.  He loves to build.  We certainly love our Obo.  He is a light in our home.