Teenager!

 Another teenager in the house! This year, Austin has made great strides not necessarily in height,  though that will come,  but in school, music, sports, church,  and his social life. I'm sure it was extremely hard to start his middle school years off in a pandemic, however, he has forged through!

I've noticed how more motivated he is in his classes this year than last, especially his accelerated math class. He no longer sits for hours doing his homework because it gets done more efficiently. 

I've already mentioned his music in a previous post. He really loves exploring music on the piano and his cello. He also loves to harmonize with me in singing, which is so fun! Often when he's watching Youtube it's about how to play video game theme songs or other theme songs from movies or shows. If he hears a cool song in a movie we're watching or on Alexa, he'll go replay it on the piano. I love it!

He finished a successful swim season, track season, and soccer season, almost. One more game for soccer. As I mentioned in my last post, they have 0 losses and 2 ties. His school won the league track meet by 1/2 a point! He ran the 800m in the league meet. At other meets, he also ran the 300m hurdles.

Lately, he has to miss Youth activities for various reasons, but he loves his ward family, recently gave a very good talk on repentance and takes his calling to pass the sacrament very seriously. He went to the temple for baptisms a couple of months ago and I was happy to send him with some family names.

Since he has become more efficient in his homework, he has more time to hang with friends and loves to ride bikes or run around the neighborhood with them. He now has a phone and loves connecting with them that way as well and plays Pokemon Go. He even called me one time to see what time he should be home after he left with friends one day. Wow- I hope he keeps on being so responsible! 

Yes, there are times when he's not the "picture perfect" kid as I seemed to have portrayed him here, but he's come such a long way that I have to put a lot of focus on the positive. 

Running the 800m.

Prepping for hurdles.

Not a great hurdle picture, but here's a video below.

We went for a bike ride on Memorial Day.

Early morning cinnamon rolls on his birthday, before orchestra. They're his favorite, even though he's making a funny face here.

He opened one gift before school. A bag for his bike. 

Villains from Grandma. He loved all the gifts and cards from everyone who sent them in the mail as well. 

His big gift, besides the phone he got last month.

Trying out the Ripstick!

Kai made him a Stranger Things cake.

Erik got him his favorite junk from the Dollar Tree and Victoria took him out the next day for an afternoon of spoiling while she bought him gifts and food.

Birthday dinner: he wanted spicey chicken, flavored rice, and his favorite veggie is peas.

Austin's choir concert was on his birthday. Victoria had dance by that time. He even had a piano solo at the concert! I'm including that video along with a clip of him singing for the 5th grade orientation a couple of weeks ago.

At his piano recital, a couple days after his birthday.