Happy 10.5 birthday, Miles!

This month has been a busy one, full of camps and trips and adventures.  In your first two camps of the summer, Comics & Zines and Filmscene Animation, two of your best friends were also participants.  That was good for you, since you still get a little nervous about unfamiliar situations.  You didn’t try anything radically different this year—Willowwind and Filmscene are both places you’ve spent plenty of time.  We also attended a revival showing of The Karate Kid at Filmscene last weekend.  That was one of my childhood favorites, and I found it to hold up pretty well.  Even the fashions didn’t look too out of date, considering all the high-waisted jeans I see on people nowadays.  You are convinced that the main villain, Johnny Lawrence, was a reference to John Laurens of Hamilton.  Laurens wasn’t a villain and his name is spelled differently, but you’re quite sure.

In terms of excitement, our trip to see the touring production of Hamilton in Des Moines was undoubtedly the highlight of your month.  Thanks to a very generous gift from Nana, we had incredible seats.  We could see the actors’ facial expressions easily, and that added so much to our enjoyment.  We’ve listened to the soundtrack many, many times, but seeing it live was a whole new experience.  There were so many visual jokes and expressive personalities on stage.  You and Tobin listened well to my talk about theater etiquette, and you were so well-behaved.  You listened fervently, laughed, and clapped with vigor, all in a contextually appropriate way.

I mentioned to your dad last night that people could save their money on Hamilton tickets and just come hang out at our house, because you and Tobin have pretty much the whole thing memorized.  You act out long stretches, nailing all (or most of) the quick and subtle turns of phrase.  You can swap roles and do it all over again.

Another highlight of the month was our trip to a lake house in Innsbrook, Missouri, west of St. Louis.  We joined Mubby, Skitter, Tyler, Oxana, Aleks, and Vera for a long weekend full of fishing, roasting marshmallows, and relaxation.  You declined a traditional bed, though we had plenty of sleeping space, in order to sleep on a couch.  I guess it was comfortable, because you didn’t vary from your normal late-rising routine.

You finished up your baseball season, and your personal improvement really showed in your later games.  You were hitting pitches, advancing runners, and making it to base.  You did some good fielding work, too.  It was nice to have Mubby and Skitter and Nana and Papa attend games to cheer you on.

You have one more camp this summer, then the remaining weeks will be more free-form.  We have a trip out to the farm planned, and you’ll spend time at Mubby and Skitter’s house.  We still have a good number of items to complete on our summer activity list, too.  I’m sure you’ll keep busy with your hobbies, like reading, Minecraft, idiotic YouTube videos, and making stop-motion animation videos.  In fact, that’s what you’re doing right now, using Tobin’s fleece footie pajamas as a green screen.

Before we know it, you’ll be getting organized to head back to school.  With four sections in your grade, odds are fairly low that you’ll be in the same class as Jacob and Daniel again.  It would be great if you were, but it wouldn’t hurt you to get to know some of the other kids in your grade, too.  That’s one thing I like about you attending camps and playing baseball on teams that bring a mix of kids together.  Once junior high time comes (7th grade will arrive scarily soon, I know it), you’ll be grateful to have been campmates and teammates with other east side kids.

Enjoy the second half of summer and the second half of your tenth year, my dear Miles.  I love your sharp mind and quick wit, and I look forward to all the interesting things you have yet to do.

Love,

Mom