Twelve!

Dear Jacob,

What a crazy year it has been.  You gave up lacrosse for good, embraced basketball full time, won a championship, started a new school, dealt with a lot of related ups and downs, and are now navigating this crazy coronavirus quarantine.  In the middle of all of that, you've grown up so much.  You're almost as tall as me, and your shoes are officially bigger than mine.  It's hard to believe that the tiny baby who changed our lives 12 years ago today is now a legit big kid and only a year away from being a teenager.  

Basketball was definitely the theme of this year!  Last summer was a game-changer when you finished up lacrosse and started playing basketball full-time.  Upward was fun in the winter, but when you joined up with the summer leagues and started playing with some real competition (including 13-year-olds) that was pretty amazing to watch.  You really came into your own with your first team.  You learned a ton, showed your defensive skills, and really wowed people with your three-point shooting.  Watching you win a championship was so much fun after a few losing lacrosse seasons (and one winning one that you barely felt a part of).  The next round's team wasn't quite as fun, but every different team is a learning experience--remember that!  Your winter season was pretty interesting for a lot of reasons--team dynamics, challenging teammates and coaches, and some tough losses.  But the wins you had were hard-fought and it was great watching your team come together.  Between that and the summer league, you really made yourself visible to a core piece of the Rochester basketball inner circle, and it seemed they liked what they saw.  Hopefully that support will come in handy over the next few years.  We're sad that your travel season has been one big mess, because we were all looking forward to watching you and your team play and getting back on the road again.  There isn't much that this virus hasn't ruined--at least not when it comes to scheduled events--so at least you're not alone there.  But it's hard to watch you be limited to the driveway and a little bit of gym time, because we know you're ready for so much more.  It's been a pleasure watching you play and we can't wait to see what's next.

As for school, you were a real trooper.  Moving to a new school--and a private school, at that--was a huge change for you.  Sometimes I wonder why you did it, since you always seemed to miss your friends and be frustrated by some of your new limitations.  I know deep down this is probably a basketball move more than anything, but I hope the education you get will be well worth it.  Despite the complaints, you probably did better with the uniforms, early mornings, and middle school workload than I expected.  I actually really came to enjoy our morning drives, despite the very early alarm clock and lots of yelling you out the door.  But our time alone was a lot nicer than I expected and I missed it when it ended.  You did a great job with your school work, consistently pulling great scores on projects--even the dreaded summer reading I was sure we'd never survive.  There was sometimes a lot of complaining, but you always seemed to make out okay in the end.  You even made the honor roll for the first three quarters (and most likely the fourth, as well).  

When it came to quarantined learning from home, you really amazed me.  Given all the challenges we had with homework over the years, it seemed like a nightmare scenario to have to do all your work at home.  But you handled it like a champ.  We had a few rough days here and there where the workload or the projects seemed overwhelming, but for the most part you handled things very well.  You usually looked like an old pro compared to your brother, who was giving me flashbacks to your Kindergarten homework hell.  Thank you for making it pretty easy on us!  And thank goodness it ended early!  

While I hope you get an influx of new kids this year so you can get a little more comfortable socially, at this point I'm just hoping for any sort of in-school time because I think you need to get back to a little bit of normalcy.  But I know we're both so proud of how you adjusted, and we hope you'll even put a little extra effort in because you have so much potential to do amazing things.  It's like I told you after last year's unsuccessful school awards ceremony: You have the potential, but when teachers know you're not using it to the fullest, you're never going to get the recognition you deserve.  It's there, though!

Speaking of quarantine, I know this time has been challenging for you.  On top of basketball being ruined, you've been isolated from most of your friends and stuck here with the people who probably make you craziest.  Thank goodness for Xbox (and sometimes your phone), but I'm sorry that we've had to be so strict about face-to-face time.  I'm glad you got some friend time last weekend finally, but I know that having to deal with your parents all the time, and especially your brother, has not been easy.  While I can't say you've made it easy for us either, I know that a lot of our troubles are just because you're trying to make your brother into a better person and make sure we're aware of things that might need attention.  We appreciate the effort, but it's okay if you just stay a kid for a bit longer, I promise.  Parenting is tough and you don't need to worry yourself with it just yet!

Despite our ongoing issues with you and your brother, the moments of maturity that I have seen in you over this last year have been something to behold.  As your emotional maturity moves along (in some areas, anyway), you now have some physical maturity to go along with it.  Your voice is getting deeper, you will pass me in height all too soon, and your feet officially overtook mine almost a year ago.  You care more about your hair than you ever did, and you definitely have a look in mind for clothes (but given how particular you were about those for years, that'll be tough to beat).  Girls definitely popped up on your radar this year, too.  In a year you'll be a full-blown teenager, and before we know it you'll be looking more and more like a man.  I'm definitely not ready, but it's fascinating to see little previews pop through here and there.  

This birthday definitely feels a little different with all of our limitations right now, but I hope all of the little things add up to a really great day that celebrates you!  We'll just have to make it up to you when the world opens up a bit more--arcade, party, and eating in at Red Robin again!  We love you so much and hope you feel that, even in the tough moments.  You made us parents and have given us quite the ride these last 12 years, and we look forward to seeing where you'll go from here.  Have a wonderful birthday and an even better year!  

Love, 

Mom