Happy Birthday Duncan!!!

I meant to have this up here this morning but of course I forgot to take his picture until this afternoon and then we were having computer issues and then we had dinner and his party at my mom's and so I'm just now getting this posted, but at least it's here on the right day. 

Duncan is an amazing kid - he is so much fun, can be so goofy, and yet is also so responsible.... I guess that part comes from being the oldest. I really do rely on him a lot to help me out - I think about the only thing he doesn't do is change diapers (I keep meaning to teach him how to do that). He is so great at helping me with Ellie and Charlie - he gets one of the other of them dressed for church probably at least every other week. 

He is also really super smart and good at school, even though he claims to hate it. I have always gotten glowing reports from all of his teachers, the one exception being his handwriting - it's pretty terrible. He did have a brief time last year where he loved cursive and wrote it beautifully but he got over that pretty quickly. But his teachers all love him. I think he walks the fine line between being funny and obnoxious and so far he hasn't crossed it. His Primary teachers always love him too - apparently he always knows all the answers which somewhat surprises me since we aren't the best at always having FHE. But apparently we aren't doing too terribly. 

this pic doesn't really look like him exactly but it was the only one where he was smiling

 Duncan has always had a lot of friends - he had a hard time narrowing down his list of kids he wanted to invite to his party this year to 12. I don't think I have ever had that many people I could consider my friends at one time in my whole life. People just sort of gravitate to him. I have been really proud of him this year b/c there is one kid in his class at school who some people are mean to but he has tried to be his friend and even invited him to his party.

Him and Dayton are absolutely best friends. They really do everything together. If there is a time where Dayton is somewhere else Duncan doesn't really know what to do. They make up silly games and competitions and love all the same things. I'm so glad that they are growing up so close. We were talking the other day about how their missions might overlap and how sad it would be if they didn't see each other for almost four year and Duncan decided that he will go when he is 18 but Dayton will wait until he's 19 and then they will be sure to see each other in between.

no more smiles, but at least he's not scowling like in most of the pictures I got

Duncan is so great with Ellie. I said earlier what a good helper he is but he is just great with her in general. She is always asking him to help her with something or read her a book or make her something - speaking of, I should mention that one of his talents is making awesome paper airplanes. Seriously, he just makes up designs and they fly so well. He also has a lot of fun playing with Charlie. The only one he kind of has issues with is Tucker. He forgets that Tucker is only five and thinks that he should be treated exactly the same. He complains that Tucker always gets the easiest chores or gets away with more stuff than he does. I remind him that when he was five he didn't have any chores at all. Hopefully they can get to be better friends soon!

Hands down Duncan's favorite place to be is my mom's house. He would live there if I let him. Ever since he was teeny tiny he has always had a great connection with my mom and dad. We really hardly see him at all over the weekend. He hates Sundays now b/c we go to church at nine and my mom doesn't go until one so he can't go over there until four. We try to make up for it here and play some games but it's just not the same. He is so lucky to have them living so close by and so willing to let him be there all the time!

Someone said at church today that Duncan is a decade old now and that made me feel pretty ancient! So I'm sticking with ten. Ten whole years since Jeff and I became parents...hopefully we haven't messed him up too bad. Love you Dunc!