Jared turns 10

I can't believe that he's 10...ten...TEN!!  Ten years...that's a decade!

Ten years ago...



Jared - 7/15/2001 - 9 lbs 2 oz - 21"


Top Songs for 2001:  Music by Madonna; Superman (It's Not Easy) by Five for Fighting, Hit 'Em Up Style by Blu Cantrell; She Bangs by Ricky Martin; Desert Rose by Sting; Superhero by Sky; Give Me Just One Night by 98 Degrees; Who Let the Dogs Out by Baha Men; and Too Little Too Late by Barenaked Ladies

We were watching 24...The X-Files...7th Heaven...Friends...ER

One of the hottest new toys was the Razor Scooter...we've had four in our family so far - so it also had longevity going for it.

Another hot new toy was the Crawl and Cruise Playground by Fisher Price...gosh, how he LOVED that thing!

By 2001, the Harry Potter series had hit the best sellers list.  One of my all-time favorite Halloween costumes of Jared's is the year that he went dressed as Harry Potter.  He was four, and we rounded out the perfect trick-or-treating trio with his purple pet dragon (Owen) and his Auntie Sarah (a witch).

He's always been a water baby, taking to baths pretty easily once we did away with that little tub business and let him into the big tub.  Jared began swimming lessons at the ripe old age of 9 months.  Ever since, he's enjoyed swimming at Uncle Kevin's, next door, in various lakes, and on the swim team.  He goes through phases in his love/hate relationship with the pool and swimming (currently we are NOT a fan of the swim team, but swimming for fun is OK).  A few of my all-time favorite shots of Jared in the water:



Running his own bath - May 2002



Uncle Kevin's - July 2002



Uncle Kevin's - July 2006



First Place!  March 2011

Jared has grown into a smart, funny, kind, and lovable kid.  He loves to read - anything and everything!  He's working his way through the Harry Potter series, spent several months on the Lemony Snicket books, and has read a few of the Percy Jackson books.  He does so well in school and had a fantastic 4th grade year to finish out his elementary school career.  Middle School in September!

Jared likes to ride his bike.  Last summer, he moved up to the "big" bike - a 20"!

June 2010

We started celebrateing Jared's birthday this year with a pool party over the 4th of July weekend.  Since he and Taylor's birthdays are so close together, we thought that it was efficient.  And they both love to party together.  :)

Jared chose pancakes for his birthday breakfast.  We had some beautiful fruit that was ready to eat, so we all gorged on pancakes, Nutella, and a medley of peaches, plums, and raspberries.  YUMMY!

When they announced that the final Harry Potter movie would be coming out on July 15 of this year, Jared immediately decreed that we would be doing THAT on his birthday.  He's talked of little else in the last several weeks.  Fortunately, our theater in Brighton is showing both the 2D and 3D versions of the movie, meaning that crowds are split.  We'll head up there after camp.

Yes...the boy chose daycamp on his birthday.  It's tie-dye day, and he wanted to make a t-shirt.  I'll pick them up early so that we have time to head up to the movie.

I can't believe that my baby is ten years old.  He's sure turning into his own little person.  I got the nicest compliment from one of his camp counselors just today - she was noticing that the boys are so different from each other, and she said "Jared's going to make the best husband one day...he's so sweet and kind and attentive to others"  Awww...that sums him up perfectly.  :)



Jared - 3 months - Sept 2001



Jared - 10 years - July 2011

  Happy Birthday, Jared!  We love you!