The biggest change since your last life update is that you switched schools and basically skipped a grade, jumping back up to be with your own age cohort. (We held you back when you were 5 and you started kindergarten a year late, so you’ve been about a year older than many of your classmates since you entered kindergarten.) Last fall, shortly after I wrote your last life update, things took a downturn at school in 7th grade. You were bored, felt unchallenged, and were frustrated by the behavior of many of your classmates. You hated going to school and seemed absolutely miserable. Your grades started slipping and we were getting in fights trying to get you to turn in your assignments and do your homework. Late fall, your guidance counselor at Salem Middle reached out to us and asked if you’d be interested in switching to Mt. Vernon Middle School to quickly finish 7th grade, do all of 8th grade in one semester, and then start at Apex High School as a freshman a year ahead of schedule. You absolutely jumped at this opportunity with little to no hesitation. You applied for the program and were accepted! I think this was truly one of the best things that’s happened in your life. Since switching schools and getting to be with older kids in more challenging classes, you have become a new person. You are now confident, you take initiative, and you are willing to go to school and do the work. We are no longer fighting over schoolwork or studying. It is such a 180, and we are so so thankful.
Along with now being a freshman in high school, you applied and joined AOIT (Academy of Information Technology) at your school, which is a four-year program of career preparation that puts you in many classes with kids with similar interests to your own. You also applied for and joined the after-school robotics club, where you are one of the main programmers, and you just recently tried out for the high school swim team and made the cut. We are absolutely blown away by all these extracurriculars you’re trying and we are so proud of you.
You are still swimming three times per week with your year-round swim team, which definitely helped you to make the high school team. And since you are swimming with a year-round team, you do not have to go to the high school practices. You almost always go to swim practice without complaint, and will often choose to go even when we offer to skip, because you say you know you need the exercise.
You are still taking piano lessons and did some synth lessons over the summer. I wouldn’t say that creating and playing music is one of your top priorities, but you definitely enjoy it and frequently have music playing in your bedroom.
Your favorite hobbies right now are gaming, computer programming, fishing, working on our mini backyard pond, tinkering with wires and other items in the garage, building random things out of parts that we considered trash, and learning about the things that interest you through videos and reading. You haven’t been consuming books nonstop over the last year like you used to, but just recently you’ve been reading a bit more. You’ve figured out that you can put books on your phone, then read during downtime at school while appearing to be scrolling like your classmates. :)
You are really a lot of fun to hang out with right now. You are witty and chatty when you’re comfortable with people. You are super smart with words, and use so much sarcasm that sometimes we don’t believe you when you saying you’re NOT being sarcastic. You love to play devil’s advocate and challenge others’ thoughts. You have deep (and sometimes controversial) thoughts on theology and faith that are fascinating to hear and discuss. You like to discuss physics, math equations, economics, and have debates about life. Your anxiety and depression seem to be at bay right now, which is such a nice respite. We are chalking it up to the combined effects of medication, therapy (you’ve been going for nearly a year now), switching schools and grades, and also just getting older and more mature.
You just finished the classroom portion of driver’s ed, and will do the driving portion soon. We cannot believe you are old enough to get behind the wheel of a car! (Also, it’s terrifying as a parent!!)
You are now 5’6.5” and your growth has slowed down and your height percentile is dropping back off (it’s around 55th percentile now). Your hair is still blonde but getting darker every year. Your eyes are probably more light gray than blue, but can appear blue with certain shirts. It appears that last year I knew your shoe size, but I currently have no idea what size shoe you wear and neither do you (I asked). You are becoming more broad and muscular, which I’m sure is impacted by your frequent swimming. Your pectus carinatum is doing well and is not visible at all currently, but you are still wearing the brace at night. You also just recently began wearing a little device on your back to help with your slouching, as we were getting worried about long-term effects on your shoulders, back, and neck. It seems to be helping!
You and Greyden hang out sometimes, but not a ton these days. I think you are just in very different life stages. We occasionally have to remind you to be nice to one another, but usually you treat each other pretty decently. Overall I think your relationship with one another is pretty healthy and as expected for your ages.
Krew, we just love the person you are and are becoming. Thanks for making our lives more special just by being you.
Love,
Mom and Dad
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