ethan, ethan, ethan!

It's that time of the year when all of the birthdays in our family start rolling in; Vanessa's was earlier this month and now, it's Ethan's turn!

See how happy he is at his birthday dinner? Red Lobster is his favorite!

He's 15 now and right up there with Ryan in height. Of course, they're still shorter than Scott (who stands proudly at 6'2"), but I'm positive they'll pass him or draw even. Scott says no way, but Ethan jokes that he will just to spite his dad.

The thing about Ethan is that he's not big on change; I don't know if that's because of his Aspergers, but once he finds something he likes, he's "stuck." It extends to his personality, too. It doesn't take him too long to try something new, as long as he decides he wants to try it. I guess what I'm trying to say is that Ethan is Ethan, and he really hasn't changed from his last birthday.

Sure, his interest in all things military has amped up, and he's gotten more creative with his Lego building, and maybe his "obsession" with Destiny (video game he plays with Scott) has taken priority over other things, but other than that, he's still the same sarcastic, witty, and intelligent kid that likes to pat my head and remind me of my shortness when I'm next to him.

In other words, he's still awesome.

He has no interest in getting his learner's permit or the girls around him, but I think that's what I like the most about him: his interests aren't reflective of society; he's interested in what interests him and he's content.

I wish I'd had that kind of quiet confidence growing up.

Anyway, he's my Ethan and he's awesome. I don't think anything more needs to be said...well, except my list of reasons why I love this kid. :-)

15 Reasons Why I Love Ethan

  1. He greets me with a cheerful "Morning!" everyday.
  2. He makes it a point to ask how my day's been at different times a day.
  3. He's so patient with Vanessa when they're discussing Pokemon stuff.
  4. He loves lame jokes.
  5. He seeks me out to have conversations.
  6. He's not afraid to ask questions.
  7. He likes family time.
  8. He'll surprise me by randomly giving me hugs and yell, "I'll squeeze your guts out!"
  9. He'll randomly tell me a joke.
10. He gets really excited about playing Destiny (video game)
11. He's polite (always remembers to say please and thank you).
12. He can be really nice and loving with his siblings (when they're not trying to kill each other, lol)
13. He loves our dogs.
14. He loves his grandparents.
15. His concentration is admirable.