thirteen

How can it be that you are thirteen? A teenager? Just the other day you were in the NICU with your little hand wrapped around your Daddy's finger. You have come a long way since then.



Dylan, 8th grade

You sure are growing up fast now. When we got to Ohio two year ago, you still have some  roundness left in your little boy face. I did not realize how fast those lines were sharpening, shifting and changing until I saw this year's school pic.

Why do you look like a MAN suddenly? With thirteen I can honestly say that we are starting to see little glimpses of the man you will be. You have a new-found confidence. You walk to the beat of your own drum. A drum that happens to be very unique, random, literal, and creative.

You know that your sense of humor really shines. (You got that from your Momma....) You make us laugh every.single.day. You are genuinely good all the way down to the core (You got that from your Daddy...).

You went to your first boy/girl party this past weekend, and I will admit that I was a little worried about it all. It hit me that I don't really have control anymore. Not that I really did anyway, but it is becoming more apparent recently. We will have to rely on YOU to make good choices on YOUR own. You could see the worry in my eyes that I tried to conceal because you reassured me "Mom, I promise if I see somebody doing something that they shouldn't be doing, I will call you and Dad right away. And then I might call 911 if the sitation calls for that".  LOL Needless to say, I was very relieved when you got home around 10:15pm all flushed and sweaty from the fun you had. It made my heart swell to see you so HAPPY. And back home safe and sound.

Dylan Hayes, at thirteen you.....

• are challenging your Daddy as the tallest person in the house. (it's a tight race at this point)
• are 5 feet 11 inches tall and wear a size 12 men's shoe and weigh 118 lbs (soaking wet)
• are  70% in weight and 130% in height on the growth chart
• are projected to be 6-5 or 6-6 at this rate
• have ZERO interest in basketball (unfortunately), I am praying that changes (given your wing span potential)
• love pizza more than any other food in the world
• might turn into a sour patch kid if you keep eating them
• love to write and read and imagine and challenge and debate
• love Lord of the Rings and all things JRR Tolkien

At thirteen you

• have an ongoing countdown for the release of The Hobbit movie in theaters (December 14th, 2012)
• continue to fight the normal grooming routine
• despise homework and refuse to SHOW YOUR WORK in Math
• are creatively brilliant and artistic
• continue to be a reliable source for all things random (especially pertaining to wildlife, mythical creatures,  and SciFi trivia)

"Dyl-ANakin" Halloween 2009

At thirteen you....

• will likely one day be a Jeopardy champion! Or a Jedi champion! ;)
• but not before you become a Lawyer, because you love a good argument and leave us speechless more often than we would like to admit
• are oddly interested in the 2012 Presidential campaign. To quote you, "I know I can't vote, but I think it is a good idea to be an informed teenager" (LOL)

Happy 13th birthday, Dylan! We love you to the moon and beyond...

“There is more to a boy than what his mother sees. There is more to a boy then what his father dreams. Inside every boy lies a heart that beats. And sometimes it screams, refusing to take defeat. And sometimes his father's dreams aren't big enough, and sometimes his mother's vision isn't long enough. And sometimes the boy has to dream his own dreams and break through the clouds with his own sunbeams.”  ~Ben Behunin