Nathanael is thirteen today.  He’s seemed a bit more excited about this birthday than some others, probably because becoming a teenager is kind of a big thing to a kid.  I kind of wish there was more excitement in life to accompany the anticipation.  As it is, though, Nathanael is someone who generally appreciates routine and familiarity and stability.  Though willing to test limits, he’s also perfectly okay not doing something that disrupts his sense of well-being.  He’s just fine being the lone dissenter on suggestions for any family fun ideas that also involve a long car ride (“long” usually means anything more than 20 minutes, haha).  He’s happy to while away the afternoon hours with a book, but he is also an avid lover of games (board games, card games, outdoor games, computer games…really anything) and will happily take advantage of any opportunity to learn a new one.  He is a proficient baker, mostly because he loves sweets, but he can hold his own in most other cooking endeavors, too.

He is super smart (though grammar might be his achilles heel), funny, sarcastic, and deeply compassionate.  I know I’ve mentioned it often, but he still slows down to walk with whomever is at the back of the pack.  He’ll quietly take on extra tasks to help me if I’m having a rough day.  He’ll snuggle his littlest brother during movie time.  He will also come out with a smart-aleck response at inappropriate times, or sometimes laugh when being scolded (though, minorly in defense of this, he DID laugh in response to pain for the first five years of life), but is generally a good-natured kid in most situations.  He is a good conversationalist and a deep thinker.

I’m a big fan of this kid and I’m so thankful for these thirteen years we are celebrating today.