You’d think that 10 would have been a huge slap in the face to me as a mother. A decade. Double digits. An introduction to being a tween.

But somehow, 11 is the big one for me. I stare at you, and have to squint to see any glimpse of my baby boy. He’s still there, but dang, there seems to be more young man than boy these days.

You’ve grown 2 inches in the last 6 months. You’re in your last year of elementary school. Middle school is lurking around the corner.

But you’re still my boy.

You’ll still hang out with your parents, though you retreat to your room more often now. Video games and books get the most of your time.

Baseball is still your sport of choice. You played both spring and fall ball and are becoming quite the pitcher. I’m excited to see what this next year holds.

You’re still constantly dancing and are gearing up for the next season of Hip Hop competitions. We haven’t had many sneak peeks for your routine yet so we’re stoked for our first glimpse.

Naruto Shippuden is your latest TV obsession. I can’t even count how many seasons or episodes you’ve watched. And I won’t pretend to understand the appeal. At least we still share our love of Marvel movies.

This year, you and your dad read through The Ranger’s Apprentice series, first you, then him. I love that you all shared that the way you and I had Harry Potter. It’s little things like this that matter most.

Thank you for still holding my hand. Thank you for your amazing, fabulous hugs. Thank you for making me laugh every single day…even if it’s in exasperation from you doing your Naruto moves or making bizarre noises.

I think this is going to be a big year…full of changes. I’m not sure Dad and I are ready, but I don’t think we really ever could be. But no matter what, we’ll navigate the waters together.

Keep true to who you are. Be kind. Make good choices.

I love being your mom. Happy, Happy Birthday my boy.