Happy 9th Birthday, Smalls!

2011-First Birthday Letter
2012-Second Birthday Letter
2013-Third Birthday Letter
2014-Fourth Birthday Letter
2015-Fifth Birthday Letter
2016-Sixth Birthday Letter
2017-Seventh Birthday Letter
2018-Eighth Birthday Letter

Lofton,
Lofton, LB, Smalls (that's what you really want to be called)...my favorite.  I can't believe you're 9.  Each year seems to zoom by now, which probably has something to do with how insanely busy you are these days!  Between soccer, baseball, basketball, Singing Stallions, Student Council, 4th grade leader duties, and piano lessons, you're booked more than I care to admit. However, we are never too busy to celebrate YOU!  So again, Happy Birthday! 

With such varied interests, it seems difficult to sum you up in a way that will fully capture you at 9-years old.  You're wise beyond your years, incredibly empathetic, and always a compassionate, sweet kid at heart.  You have a witty sense of humor, that mostly adults seem to understand, you are kind and accepting of others, and you can ease into most any situation in a way that others, including myself, envy.  If you try it, you're good at it.  If you practice it, you are really good at it!  For all that you are willing to try and embrace, there are certain things that never change about you, and it's so sweet to see you hang onto those things that make you our Lofton.

This year, as a 4th grader, you have etched your name in the halls of your school for good!  You take on leadership roles (4th grade leader, Student Council rep) and led your school's basketball team to a shockingly successful season (with me as your coach)!  You excel in sports, math, and really just school in general.  You still love playing soccer for Dad each fall, played on two basketball teams this winter, and are headed into your first season of kid-pitch baseball!  You seem to love and play basketball the most, but whatever you're playing, you find a way to make it fun and to be a leader on the court or field.  You are still (semi-reluctantly) taking piano lessons and performed a solo in the school's holiday program!  Even if you don't love it, you're good at it.  Math is your jam and you love tackling difficult problems and stumping your parents!  That's getting pretty easy to do as you keep advancing and we are stuck with memories of solving for x! 

While all these things are growing and changing and you keep finding ways to excel, you are still Lofton who loves (like more than anything) lovies, being at home, working on crafts with Nana, and building Legos.  Your stuffed animal population keeps growing and I'd say it's too big except that you play with every "guy."  They all have assigned superpowers and live in a hierarchy of family trees and good guy/bad guy alliances.  Anyone in earshot should be prepared to be quizzed on any of the various ways they are named, sorted, and their place of origin!  You are simple and staying little in that way and I will hang on to it as long as you.

You had a big year in terms of traveling this year!  It was so much fun to get to explore and enjoy different places with you.  You and I got to explore Washington D.C. together while dad was in a conference and it was like traveling with a friend.  We explored the zoo, Capitol, monuments, Arlington, National Archives, Supreme Court, and so much more!  You're easy to travel with and you enjoy being in new places.  However, the thing you love the most is a hotel!  This fall, you and I spent the night in a hotel in town for fall break and it was a blast!  We had room service, swam, had races in the halls, and chilled all night in our room.  We also had another AMAZING Buckles family trip to Disney last summer, which was the best!  I love seeing you spend time with your cousins and you enjoy it so much.  You and Luke are best buds, but all three of you enjoy time together and have so much in common.  You love time with your family.

You're really starting to develop your own taste in fandoms for sports teams and as usual with you, they're opposite of teams we support, which humors you.  You love the Nashville Preds, the Broncos, Oklahoma football, the Yankees, UK (puke), Duke, the Celtics, and the Golden State Warriors.  Clearly lots of teams and mostly our team's rivals.  You can oddly name nearly every NHL team, which seems to be a hobby you picked up from friends at school as you all love identifying NHL team logos and mascots.  I have some work to do to catch up to your NHL knowledge.  Thankfully you are well-rounded and stay up-to-date on NCAA basketball, the NFL, NBA, and MLB too.

Some big things lie ahead this year--we are trying to sell our house, you have orthodontic work ahead, Middle School is coming, and more traveling is planned!  I think you are a bit hesitant about some of the "growing up" stuff you know is coming, but you just continue to get cooler with age and I know you'll tackle it with courage and confidence.

Long story short, I love you and you're my favorite, like ever.  In this in between age for you, you are all the special things I love about you and that make you you and you are exploring new things that make me excited to see where your passions will lead you and we are so proud to be your parents.  You make it easier than it should be and you're the MVP on our team!  

Love, 
Mom