Stockton @ 8 years old

I would say that Stockton's biggest love right now is sports.  He likes to watch it, read about it, play any kind, and likes to wear T-shirts that have sports-like sayings or pictures on them.  He knows his favorite teams (Braves, 49ers, Jazz) if anyone asks him.  If he's anything like his dad, I'm thinking this phase will not go away.  Justin is not complaining and it's fun to watch them have the same interests.

I would also say that this summer, sports has almost taken a back seat to his recent cars obsession.  He has had them out literally almost every single day that we've been home the last couple of months.  He bought a pack of Cars 3 cars on Amazon last month with some money he got for his baptism and has more recently been looking at a specific Mack truck on ebay.

If I could pin down a favorite sport, I would maybe say baseball.  That's what he is best at anyway.  Justin has loved watching him get better and better at this and he is to the point where he can actually go out with Justin and play catch.  He can throw it really well-hard and with accuracy-and he can catch them when Justin throws them back to him.  He has really been wanting to play comp baseball but I just wasn't feeling ready for that yet so he played rec this summer and liked that.  A few weeks ago, we got an email saying that the high school baseball program was holding try-outs for fall baseball down to age 7.  It was like a comp league but only 6 weeks long so we decided to let him try out for that.  The coaches were very impressed with him and even offered for him to play with the age group just older than him but we opted to keep him with boys his age.  I don't know how the season will go but he's excited to play.  They are training him to play pitcher but he is also a very good fielder and lets few balls get past him.

Stockton has a very hard time entertaining himself.  He is lucky he has Brynn that is willing to play pretty much anything with him all day long.  Both Justin and I felt strongly right after he was born that we needed to have another baby sooner and I can now see why we felt that!  He rarely asks for friends to come over because Brynn is just his best playmate but if she is doing something else (which is rare) then he gets pretty mopey and seriously does not know what to do with himself.

Here are some things that Stockton struggles with:  he tends to whine whenever he is hungry, tired, bored, or doesn't like what we are doing.  He's hard to reason with when he is in this stage and I can't really talk to him about it until he is out of it.  He can get one thing on his mind and can't move on from it until it's taken care of.  He doesn't like to do indoor chores and I have a hard time motivating him.  He is much more agreeable when asked to do an outside chore.  He prefers me to do most things for him rather than figuring something out on his own and I have to constantly check myself to make sure I'm not doing something for him that he can do for himself, even if it's harder for him-actually, especially if it's hard for him.  I think he would float through everyday with me holding his hand to do the simplest of tasks.  He lately has struggled with controlling his temper and will backtalk to me or do something more physical (like stomp on my toes or hit someone).

He does have a sweet side too and he's the best when that comes out. I love that Stockton will sing the hymns during sacrament meeting.  He likes to find the page numbers and sing along to the music.  

Stockton hasn't shown a lot of interest in video games or computer games.  He prefers to make up games with Brynn and rarely asks me if he can play on the computer or a tablet.  If he does want to look on the computer, it's usually to look on Amazon at something he wants to buy. He doesn't really have a show that he's hooked on...he'll watch Netflix when he has the chance but more often than not, he'll turn it off on his own and go find something else to do.

One thing that Stockton is great at is reading his scriptures every night before he goes to bed.  He started this last fall and he hasn't stopped.  He started with the actual Book of Mormon but he was getting really frustrated that he couldn't understand it so I told him it would be okay if he read out of the picture scriptures until he's ready to move on to the real scriptures.  So he has done that and he's read the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and is almost through with the Old Testament.  When he was blessed as a baby, one thing that stood out to me what that he was blessed to love the scriptures.  I see that now and I hope and pray that this will continue as he grows because I know it will be such a strength to him as he navigates teen years.

Stockton weighed 49 pounds and was 49 inches tall at his last appointment.  I don't have percentages so I'm not sure where that puts him comparative to other 8-year-old boys but I do know that he's on the smaller side. He is a good eater and I don't have troubles getting him to eat at all.  Actually, I can't really keep him satisfied for too long.  He loves his celery and carrots dipped in ranch and will take that over an apple any day. He eats most things I put in front of him for dinner, as long as there are no beans because he despises beans.

Stockton can be picky about fashion.  He definitely has an opinion on what kind of clothes he likes (he even recognizes brands like Under Armour and Nike).  He prefers to have his hair combed with gel when we go somewhere over wearing a hat.  My mom says he's the only boy in the family that she likes to shop for because he actually notices what he's wearing.  All of that being said, his "outfit" of choice is basketball shorts and sports T-shirt (especially in that breathable fabric) so he's not too high maintenance.

Stockton is a sleep-walker.  It's usually around 11-12, when he's in his deepest sleep.  Justin and I will be in bed and we will hear his frantic running/stomping up the stairs.  He is in a panic and doesn't stop crying but he also doesn't talk or answer any of our questions and he remembers nothing in the morning.  He doesn't do it too often, maybe a handful of times each month.  It can be funny sometimes and sometimes it's so sad to see him be scared of something and not be able to help him.  He calms down as soon as I walk him back down to his room and tuck him back in bed and will sleep soundly the remainder of the night.

I learn a lot each day being Stockton's mom.  I love the sweet, sensitive side of him and I love the goofy, silly side of him as well (until it gets too goofy and loud and crazy and then I feel like I'm going to go crazy).  He tries my patience often but then I can go down to his room at night and listen to him read his scriptures to me or put my arm around him as he snuggles up next to me in sacrament meeting and I feel so much love in my heart for my boy and so much gratitude that he is mine forever and that we are here on earth to learn from each other.

 Stockton's birthday interview:
  Favorite color: blue

Favorite movie: The Sandlot

Favorite breakfast: German pancakes or French toast

Favorite dinner: meatballs

Best friend: Nixon

Favorite TV show: Lab Rats 

Favorite scripture story: 2,000 Stripling Warriors

Favorite book: Harry Potter

Favorite game: baseball

Favorite story: 2,000 Stripling Warriors

Other kids think about me: that they want to be my friend

What do you like about your Mom? She's awesome and fun to play badminton with

What do you like about your Dad? He's fun to play baseball with me

What do you like about Molly? That she has cool ideas

What do you like about Brynn? She's really funny

What do you like about Ivy? When she says "mountain poop" instead of "mountain dew"

What do you like about yourself? That I can play baseball

When I grow up I want to be: a baseball player

I like learning about: math

I want to go to: a Braves game

If I had one wish it would be: That I could grow up and be a baseball player 

Favorite thing to do: play baseball

Favorite song: Heavenly Father Loves Me