I have to admit I don't LOVE this time of year. Three birthdays in one week, with Scott's a few days later makes for a busier week than I would prefer, but I do like blogging this time of year because a birthday blog for all three kids means I get to shamelessly brag about the three little humans who live in my house.
I have so many Milo brags this year. This kid's work ethic could rival most adults. Whether it is with hockey or school this Milo always tries his hardest. He has learned this year that hard work does pay off. After years of early morning tutoring to help work with his dyslexia Milo has completed his first semester of Middle schools with all A and one B+. We had his parent teacher conferences and all of his teachers talked about what a good student he is. They talked about his ability to advocate for himself, ask good questions, and come to class with a good attitude. One teacher talked about how kind and inclusive Milo is with a particular classmate who struggles in school. He praised Milo's kindness and touted what a good human he is. Building on the "good human" comment, A mom of one of Milo's teammates pulled me aside to tell me what a kind kid Milo is. Her son was sitting away from the rest of the team during a team building event. His mom was "moming" and watching from the sidelines, worrying, but not saying anything when she heard Milo holler at her son to come join the team. She said she saw her son smile, she smiled, and when she shared the story with me, I smiled. That is what this kid does....He makes people smile. I am so proud to be his mom!
I often joke that I am happy I have a daughter, and I am really happy I have only one. Though this may have started as a statement of how hard girls can be it has grown into something very different. I love that I have one little girl that I get to have special, exclusive girl time with. I love that I have one tough little girl sandwiched in between two boys. A little girl who can wrestle with her brothers, handle a horse, and loves to get dirty. I just love this girl. About six months ago I started to observe Liesel "acting" older. She was talking with her hands and describing stories with a more mature vocabulary. Then I realized something she wasn't acting; she was becoming more mature before my eyes. We are in the sweet spot of watching her grow into herself. If I am being totally honest Liesel runs a little hot, she has the shortest fuse of all three of my kids, but she also has the most introspection. Over the last year she has learned to self-reflect and recognize how she could have dealt with a situation better. I would argue she does this better than most adults including her mother. There is a good chance this one will change the world.
As the youngest of three, the whole family often forgets how young this 8-year-old is. He not only keeps up with his brother and sister, but he often beats them. He has more knowledge, acts older, and has more stamina than his brother and sister did at his age. Not because he is naturally superior to them, but because he looks up to his older siblings and they help make him better. It isn't until the evening or at the end of a long weekend that I will look at his tired eyes and realize how wiped this little guy is from keeping up with the Aschermanns. He never complains and he is the first to sacrifice for someone he loves. If there is one bowl of cereal left, he'll say "It's fine Liesel can have it, I'll have toast." If Milo wants to practice his hockey shots, Maddox happily suits up in his goalie gear to help him practice. He loves a good hug, and we often have to tell him "Not so rough", but the truth is the whole family loves a Maddox hug. He smiles with his eyes and loves with his whole heart.
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