Beckett West Chambers

13 1/2 years 104.2 lbs 5' 4" (almost) tall

Beckett is 13 1/2 and in his 2nd semester of 7th grade. He's still in HiCap Social Studies & English and double accelerated Math (9th grade level). Math was a bit of a struggle in the beginning but he got over it quickly and now feels confident and proficient. He continues to get straight A's and score well on placement tests. He has several assessments next month and I have no doubt he'll score high on all. Smarty!!

He participated in several school activities over the last couple months. He did Track in the Fall and then dabbled in Ultimate Frisbee and a mini Cross Country season. He's currently in Band of Brothers. He's best when engaged in an activity before/after school and everyone else is better off as well ;) We're starting to think about options for the Summer. He is adamant that he doesn't want to do a camp or structured external activity so we're talking about putting him on our own reading program and maybe some weight lifting in the gym.

He continues to love all kinds of sports and doesn't discriminate. He's happy watching college or professional basketball, baseball, football and hockey. He likes to watch the games, learn about the players and occasionally attend a game at a nearby stadium. For his birthday mom took him to UW to watch a football game in the Alaska Airlines stadium. Next month we get to sit in a suite at Lumen Field to watch a Seattle Reign game. We're also talking about going to a Mariners game this Summer and potentially go to a game while in San Francisco in June.

The last 6 months' adventures include the following:

1) UW Game (Oct): We watched an exciting Husky football game in the Alaska Airlines stadium. It was an exceptionally interesting year as the Husky's season was so good they were in the college championship game at the end of the season!!! We got rained on a little but worked it out with a little hot chocolate :)

2) Methow Valley (Thanksgiving & Christmas): Per usual we spent Thanksgiving in the valley and went to Winthrop to watch the fireworks at Xmas at the End of the Road. Christmas brought the entire 'Westlund' family together so it was a full house with all the traditions (Xmas Eve Service at church, Maxwells afterwards, Wallis' for 2nd Mile Ranch Xmas morning). We had a nice time together and played a lot of Kahoots. Beckett made a special Christmas Jeopardy that everyone enjoyed as well.

3) Uncle Aaron Hang (Jan): Mom & Dad went to Cabo for a few days so Hudson & Beckett spent the weekend @ Uncle Aaron's. They ate a bunch of junk food, stayed up late, played lots of Wii and had a fantastic time together. I'm not sure who had more fun.

4) Orthodontist (Jan): Beckett had three appointments 1-week a part culminating in getting his braces back on. We hope he'll get them off right before he starts HS next Fall (fingers crossed)!

5) Sun Peaks Ski Trip (Jan): We drove up to Canada to spend a few days skiing w Simons and had a great ski in/ski out condo next to the lifts. One afternoon Beckett and mom enjoyed an afternoon date wandering through the village, trying poutine and just hanging out together while Dad and Hudson skied.

6) Whitefish Ski Trip (Feb): We spent Mid-Winter break skiing in Whitefish with Gma. We had a fantastic condo and also took the opportunity to drive down to the Lookout to check it out. We had pizza at Moose's and played lots of games in the evenings.

7) Methow Valley (Mar): We took advantage of a long weekend (no school Monday) to go over to the Methow to watch the play "James & the Giant Peach" at the Merc Playhouse. It was the middle of March Madness so lots of basketball games were watched and Beckett & Mom climbed the hill together behind the house!!

8) Hawaii (Apr): We went back to the Big Island for Spring Break and stayed at Aaron's condo. What a gift of a week to have such an amazing home base. We played pickle ball, took walks in the morning, went to Hapuna Beach (met up w Mitchells), Drove down to Kona and further south, went back to Hawi to do the Polulu trail down to the beach and then ice cream in Hawi. Beckett got chocolate! We also spent some time by the pool at the Ocean Club and watched a handful of sunsets from the golf course.

B didn't feel well the last couple days there (maybe an ear infection that caused a fever) so took it easy relaxing and chilling in bed from the condo. Our last night we watched a movie as a family that Beckett picked out. It was based on a Roald Dahl book called Esio Trot (tortoise spelled backwards) and was a super cute movie. Great pick by B!!!

9) Charlie's Birthday Party! (Apr): Beckett was invited to Charlie's birthday party at Jump Zone (formerly Defy). He had a good time playing basketball from the trampolines and eating pizza & cake. Claire Nardella picked him up!!

Beckett is most definitely taller than mom but not yet as tall as dad. He seems to be shooting up pretty quickly though so my money says by the next entry he may be head to head with Beau. It'll be interesting to see if he outgrows Hudson. Dad thinks he will.

Beckett and his girlfriend Maddie are no longer together so he may have experienced his first ever heartbreak as she initiated the break up :( He continues to enjoy learning and got over the initial challenge of his double accelerated Math class. He detests reading STILL despite consistent attempts to get him into a variety of books. He started the Hunger Games and initially enjoyed it before that fizzled out.

Beckett is our sugar tooth kid. He never met a sweet he didn't like (as long as it's not fruit flavored, that's right...he still won't eat fruit). He manages his sugar better in terms of not getting over hyped but his diet is definitely an opportunity. He doesn't eat breakfast before school, doesn't take a lunch with him so is obviously starving when he gets home. Not our best parenting to not enforce he be more diligent but we're opting out of fighting it. He still doesn't like to eat fish as it makes him feel weird. Not sure what's behind that but oh well. He continues to be a VERY curious kid asking LOTS of questions and plays pickle ball with mom most weekends (even in Winter months). He also is the most consistent volunteer to play games when mom asks! He has several weekly chores he does around the house to help out and earns $15/week in allowance. He meticulously lays out his bank statements on his dresser and loves watching his account grow via the BECU app. He is looking forward to his Caribbean cruise w Gma coming up in July.

We love you Beckett-Boo <3

Beckett's Current Favorites:
Colors: Green
Book: Beckett still detests reading..."all books suck"

Song/Artist: Mark Knopfler
Breakfast food: Donuts (Bavarians are his favorite)
Dinner food: Mexican
Number: 14
Best friend: Tommy | Rithwik | Anthony | Charlie

13 years 102.8 lbs 5' 2" tall

Beckett is 13 years old and in his 1st semester of 7th grade. He is in HiCap Social Studies & English w Ms. Shoe. His electives this year are spanish, leadership, and business. He is in double accelerated math so taking 9th grade algebra which has been a good challenge for him. He continues to get straight A's and score well on placement tests. His last reading test had him reading at an 8th grade level. Smarty!!

He's wrapping up the 7th/8th grade Track season where he runs both the 1600 and 800. He has improved throughout the season getting better and better times each meet. In a couple weeks he will try out for the 7th/8th grade basketball team and in the spring, he will likely try XC through MVMS. We continue to expose him to various sports and he's been ok w letting us sign him up for things to keep him engaged and busy.

He continues to love all kinds of sports and doesn't discriminate. He is happy watching college or professional basketball, baseball or football. He likes to watch the games, learn about the players and occasionally attend a game at a nearby stadium. We went to Fenway Park while on the East coast this past Summer. He also went to a Mariners game and next weekend will go to a Husky game with mom!

The last 6 months' adventures include the following:

1) Seawolves Rugby Game & Mariner Game (June): We enjoyed attending a Seattle Rugby game at Starfire and were joined by Nardella's. Mom & B went to a Mariner game with Mindi/JP but sat separately.

2) East Coast Family Trip (June/July): We spent 2 weeks back east exploring DC, New York, Philadelphia and Boston using public transportation all the way through. What a great trip!

3) 5K Walks (Feb/June/July): We supported various charities by walking in 3 different 5K's. One was around Greenlake supporting Northwest Harvest and those who are food insecure. The next one was called the Furry 5K supporting animal shelters and finally the Sundae Funday supporting girls on the run. We even got ice cream at the end!

4) Lake Chelan (May): We spent a long weekend in Lake Chelan compliments of Aaron's time share. We got on the lake in our new inflatable kayaks, played some lawn games, swam in the pool and just relaxed.

5) Track & Field (May): Last Spring, Beckett participated in his 6th grade Track & Field season. It was a good experience to expose him for the first time to a variety of track events and an opportunity for him to explore what events he enjoys.

6) Montana Trip (July): Beckett and Beau enjoyed a 1:1 trip to the Lookout in Montana. They enjoyed a hike up to Upper Holland Lake, some time w Carl on Lower Holland Lake and some down time around the fire having good conversation.

7) Methow Man Week (July/Aug): This year Montana Man transitioned to the Methow and were joined by Cody, JP and kids. They camped out in the back 40 and did a lot of motorbiking, floating the river and other fun activities. After everyone left Beau and the boys did some mountain bike riding at Sun Mtn and up to Black Pine Lake.

8) Orthodonist Visits Restart (Aug): Beckett had 3 ortho visits in back to back weeks. He is starting the process to get braces back on for ~1.5 years so we hope to have him out of braces by the end of middle school. He's currently wearing rubber bands and will likely get braces back on in the next visit or two.

9) Mt Rainier Camp Trip (Oct): Beckett and his dad did another weekend camping trip out to Ohanepecosh at Mt Rainer. They did a hike and had incredible weather.

Beckett's birthday this year was low key. We went to a mexican restaurant for dinner and then came home and opened presents. He got tickets (and a t-shirt) to a Husky game, Wii Sports, a fuzzy blanket and quite a bit of $ from Nana, Gma, Nana Nan and us. He also went with his dad to the bank to open his own checking and savings account complete with his own debit card. Perhaps the biggest gift of all was getting his iPhone back after losing it after Spring Break 6 months ago!

Beckett is now taller than mom and seems to be experiencing a growth spurt as he almost looks taller each day. It will be interesting to see if he outgrows Hudson.

Beckett is now officially a teenager and is going through puberty. He continues to experience a range of emotions although they seem to be more periodic than in the last 6 months. It really depends on the day. He is still a very curious person and loves to ask "why?" about most things. He handles sugar better than he used to be it still has an effect on him. He LOVES sweets!!! He and Hudson don't interact that much but when they do it's pretty awesome to see as it doesn't happen all that often.

Beckett has the same girlfriend, Maddie that he had last year. She is REALLY into him and gave him a big bag full of goodies for his birthday. She is often trying to find opportunities to get together outside of school (i.e. Silverwood waterpark, Portland golf meet, Homecoming football game, etc) He continues to enjoy learning (although NOT reading) and is interested in initiating some friend hangs with the guys on his Track team. We can't believe you're a teenager already. We love you Beckett-Boo <3

Beckett's Current Favorites:
Colors: Green
Book: Beckett still detests reading...
Song/Artist: George Ezra
Breakfast food: Donuts (Bismark's are his favorite)
Dinner food: Mexican
Number: 14
Best friend: Tommy/Rithwik

12 1/2 years 96.2 lbs 5" tall

Beckett is 12 1/2 years old and in his 2nd semester of 6th grade. He is in HiCap Social Studies & English w Mr Seely who challenges him and exposes the class to a holistic curriculum. His electives were choir, art, leadership and he starts computer fundamentals tomorrow. He has no trouble with his academics and continues to get straight A's and score well on placement tests. His last standard test had him reading at a 9th grade level.

He just wrapped up a 5 week Futsal season through the Middle School w a jamboree at the end. Today he started flag football through I9 Sports (Sunday mornings) and will begin Track next week which is a T/Th morning sport through Maple View. We're doing a good job of exposing him to a variety of sports and he's been pretty good about letting us sign him up for things to just keep him engaged and busy.

He continues to appreciate sports and doesn't discriminate. He is happy watching college or professional basketball, baseball or football. He likes to watch the games, learn about the players and occasionally attend a game at a nearby stadium. We even went to a San Diego Padre game at Petco park over Spring Break.

The last 6 months' adventures include the following:

1) Family Fun Center & Seahawks Game (Oct): For Beckett's birthday we went to the family fun center and he hit the batting cages for the first time. Then, he and mommy went to a Seahawks game to celebrate this 12th man turning 12.

2) Thunderbirds Game (Dec): We bought tickets to support Chase Simons soccer team and went to a game w Simons, Mindi and CLAM.

3) Racquetball (Dec): For Christmas mom got a racquetball set and took turns taking us to play on the courts at LA Fitness. We had a great time but I think mom overused her arm and now has tennis elbow ;) It's too bad she's so old. LOL

4) Top Golf (Jan): While dad was out of town on his dude's ski weekend, mom took Hudson & Nick and me and Surya to the new Top Golf in Renton. We even got to try the injectable donuts while we played.

5) Bend Ski Trip (Jan): The first weekend of the New Year we drove to Bend and spent a few days skiing Mt Bachelor. We swam in the pool and hung out in the hot tub each day after a full day on the hill. We had an "adventure" when we saw our gas tank was on empty and hoped we could get back to our condo w/o running out of gas.

6) 5K Race (Feb): I ran this 5K all by myself while Hudson walked it with mom and dad. He wasn't feeling well so I went ahead of them and did it on my own. Afterwards we went to UW and toured the campus and then went to Red Mill for burgers.

6) Kellogg Ski Trip (Feb): For Mid-Winter break w skied at Silver Mountain with Simons and Nardella's. We skied two days and did the tube park one day. The house was sort of funky but all the boys got to sleep in the bunk bed room upstairs! Claire even had all the kids outside building a snowboard jump at one point!

Beckett has put together several 'Friend Hangs' lately. First, he met up w Jace & Surya to play frisbee golf. Next, he met Matthew at the high school field to practice kicking field goals and run the track. Finally, he joined Kaito and Maddie at the Middle School to goof around on the sports field. Mom took us to McDonalds afterwards!

Beckett recently lost what we think is his last baby tooth. Too bad he doesn't believe in the tooth fairy to bring him all that cold hard cash ;) He has an orthodontist appt in a couple months and I think they're just waiting for that final tooth to pop out. So, maybe we'll be getting braces on again sometime in the near future. Boo!

Beckett continues to find comfort with his stuffy "Tip Top". Mom finally realized that the biggest reason I liked sleeping w her is because her bed was so much warmer than mine. After getting a warmer down comforter for Xmas, I now sleep in my own bed every night and am super comfy. We play a little game where after I leave for school, mom tucks Tip Top in under the covers so when I get home I find him all cozy too.

Beckett is finally the same height as mom!! We knew this day would come and I'm sure he will just keep getting taller although probably not as tall as he would hope in order to be a professional basketball player.

Beckett continues to experience tween angst. He is exceptionally "confident" and has very firm opinions and is not easily persuaded from. He is curious and asks A LOT of questions and has a sort of frenetic energy at times "buzzing" around the house and around mom/dad/brother. He and Hudson sort of do their own things but will play together once in awhile. Hudson is very inclusive of B when he has friends over.

Beckett has the same girlfriend, Maddie that he had last year. We finally got to meet her at the friend hang as well as his Futsal Jamboree. She is VERY tall (taller than B) and a very sweet girl. She lives on the Lake Wilderness golf course so I told B he should get some golfing tips from her. He has a unique sense of humor (watches youtube memes that mom doesn't understand or doesn't find particularly amusing). He seems to enjoy learning new things and is initiating get togethers with friends. It's weird to think he'll officially be a teenager on our next entry. We love you Beckett-Boo <3

Beckett's Current Favorites:
Colors: Green
Book: Beckett detests reading...
Song/Artist: Roddy Ritcch
Breakfast food: Donuts (Bismark's are his favorite)
Dinner food: Mexican
Number: 13
Best friend: Jace/Rithwik

12 years 84.2 lbs 4' 11" tall

Beckett is 12 years old and in 6th grade, his first year of Junior High at Maple View Middle School. It is his first time having multiple teachers and navigating a campus going from class to class. He seems to be adapting really well and enjoys being "away from those annoying 4th graders". He is in some HiCap classes which help him engage his academic mind and feel appropriately challenged.

He's currently doing a small 6 week basketball season through the school on T/Th morning's at 7 before school. He has a jamboree at the end of the month at Summit Trail MS so we're excited to see him in action!

He really seems to be into sports. Whether it's watching the Mariners, Seahawks or the Phoenix Suns, he's always interested in watching the game and definitely takes it hard when his team loses (especially the Suns).

Beckett continues to mention that in the Spring he'd like to go out for Track & Field. So it looks like we'll have both boys participating in T&F this Spring. It's so cute watching Hudson give Beckett pointers and help educate him on all things T&F and running in general. Beckett actually accompanied Hudson on a 13.1 mile run a couple weekends ago. While B needed to stop and rest here and there, I can't believe he even entertained the idea and am so proud of him being brave enough to try to keep up with his brother.

The last 6 months' adventures include the following:

1) Basketball Camp X 2: This past Summer Beckett joined not one but two different basketball camps. One was huge with a ton of kids and the other was really intimate.

2) Golf Lessons: Beckett did mommy a favor and joined her in taking a couple golf lessons at Maplewoods Golf Course. We learned about our grip, stance, swing, scoring and the different types of clubs. The reward was lunch at the clubhouse the last day.

3) Mariner's Game: We went to a Mariner's game in July while Tia was in town with the boys. Gabe caught two fly balls which was super exciting and Uncle Aaron joined us as well. It was a fun day at the ballpark complete w a train ride south to Aaron's.

4) Road Trip: We did a mini road trip and ventured up into British Colombia starting with Whistler and doing a loop to the East and then back down South. We saw some beautiful areas of the Canadian mountains and multiple huge lakes along the way.

5) Montana Man: The guys all headed back to Condon for the 7th MMW. An interesting turn of events is that they may migrate to the Methow Valley next Summer.

6) Twisp: The boys got to spend a couple weeks in the Methow last Summer. One long weekend for the 2nd Mile Ranch 50th reunion and then a few days later went back for a work week and stayed while mom/dad were in Leavenworth.

Beckett recently lost 3 teeth in fairly quick succession. So I'm thinking we'll be ready to get braces back on after his next ortho appt in February. Funny side note is that he never asked about the tooth fairy or about leaving his tooth under his pillow for $$ ;)

Beckett continues to find comfort with his stuffy "Tip Top". He likes to sleep with mom when dad is at work and curls up tight with Tip Top always under the covers.

Beckett is getting taller. Mom still has maybe an inch on him, but it's only a matter of months before he'll be taller and looking down on us ;) I'm sure if he could put himself in a stretch machine to be a super tall basketball player he would jump at the chance.

Beckett has started to go through the tween angst. His moods take over and he often talks back and challenges mom/dad which is not fun for anyone. We all know it's part of the natural maturation phase and this challenging time will come and go. In the meantime we're trying to coach him in proper ways to express himself and cope with situations he finds frustrating/annoying.

He continues to have an inquisitive mind and asks questions....ALOT OF QUESTIONS!!!! He has the same "girl-friend" from grade school, Maddy. He is a nascent intellectual, a lover of funny memes and sports and has a good buddy Jace who he spends a lot of time with at school shooting hoops. He seems to be a very well rounded young man and we love our Beckett-boo SO MUCH! It's hard to believe he'll be a teenager on his next birthday. This year we're doing a family outing to the family fun center to celebrate his birthday. He asked for chocolate on chocolate for his cake and cinnamon toast crunch for his birthday sugar cereal.

Beckett's Current Favorites:
Colors: Green
Book: Warrior (about cats)
Song: Mark Knofler
Breakfast food: Donuts (Bismark's are his favorite)
Dinner food: Sushi
Number: 13
Best friend: Jace

11 1/2 years 80.4 lbs XX" tall

Beckett is 11.5 years old and in the last 1/3 of his Elementary School experience. We're looking forward to enrolling him in his Middle School classes in the next few weeks and choosing some fun electives.

In soccer, Beckett has spent the last year playing for the Valor soccer club. He ended up on a VERY good team (they beat their same aged Premier team) with several players that have been playing together under this same coach for several years. So while he's been exposed to really good coaching and players, he hasn't been able to see much playing time on the field. It was a good experience but in the end, his passion has switched to Basketball. He is always outside shooting hoops, downloading Bball apps and watching his favorite team, the Phoenix Suns, on TV or streaming scores. We were fortunate to go to the Suns' last game before playoffs while we were there for Spring Break. It's so cute to watch him get inspired by a game, the players, etc. So, we've decided to move away from Soccer in favor of Basketball for B. We have him enrolled in a clinic this Summer and plan to have him play this Fall/Winter w the school and Covington Sports.

Beckett has also been inspired by Hudson's track meets and wants to join the middle school team next Spring. So it looks like B will be all about Basketball and T&F while also working on his ski skills.

The last 6 months' adventures include the following:

1) Dude Perfect: We went to the Tacoma Dome to see Dude Perfect for Beckett's birthday present. He had a great time which is what matters most ;)

2) Twisp w Tripod: We spent a weekend in the Methow with Simons/Nardella's sledding the hill, bonfires, bird flying and all kinds of winter fun.

3) Baker: We went up to Bellingham to ski at Baker again and had a great time. We stayed above the Stone's Throw Brewery and already look forward to next year.

4) Hawaii: We were lucky enough to spend 10 days on the Big Island staying at Aaron's new condo. It's really nice and aside from a wild day at the beach where B and Beau got stuck behind the surf it was a good time had by all.

5) Emmett Sleepover: Beckett invited Emmett for a sleepover at our place and then he spent the night at Emmett's a few weeks later. I think that the first time he's spent the night at a legitimate friend's house rather than Simon's, Nardella's or Jumpers.

6) Arizona: We went to Scottsdale for Spring Break again and enjoyed a trip to Saguaro Nat'l Park, attending a Suns game, Top Golf, playing pickleball and lots of pool time and Mexican food.

Beckett is currently on a pause from the orthodontist. He no longer wears a retainer and doesn't have his next appointment until later this Summer. While he'll likely have to get braces on again, we're enjoying a nice rest in the process for now.

Beckett's latest comfort animal is a NEW "Tip Top" that he got from Gma JoAnn. He continues to find comfort with this little stuffy and it's so sweet to watch. Daddy has a harder time as he thinks he should be grown out of this by now but mommy thinks otherwise.

Beckett is getting taller. While he's not quite taller than mom just yet, I'm sure he will be by our next entry. I'm sure his desire to be taller primary revolves around his latest basketball aspirations.

Beckett continues to be such a FANTASTIC kid. Mommy keeps thinking, "Man, I'm always going to remember how much I loved Beckett at this age". He likes to work hard at things he hasn't mastered and asks inquisitive questions to understand the why behind the what. He loves to laugh and be silly and is very mature socially. We recently found out he has a girlfriend named Madisen aka "Maddie" who FaceTimes him several times a day. It's pretty cute seeing him walk through this process and we enjoy teasing him a little here and there as well :) We love you so much Beckett-Boo <3

Beckett's Current Favorites:
Colors: Green
Book: He's been reading biographies @ school (Obama, Lincoln, Franklin and Disney)
Song: ---
Breakfast food: Donuts (Bismark's are his favorite)
Dinner food: Sushi
Number: 12
Best friend: Maddie (how cute ;)

11 years 77 lbs 58" tall

Beckett is 11 years old and went back to in-person school (after the global COVID-19 pandemic) this Fall. His teacher is Ms Eisele and he is at the top of the heap being the big 5th grader on campus.

In soccer, Beckett tried out for the Valor club team and got a Premier call back! We opted for Select instead and he is on a VERY good team. His dad is continually impressed with the way the team moves the ball and the maturity with which they play the game. Beckett has practice 2X week and games on Saturday year round. Several of his teammates have played together for a few years but Beckett is making traction and getting more and more playing time as the year unfolds.

The last 6 months' adventures (although limited) have included the following:

1) Sykart: Beckett and mom went to race go-carts now that B is tall enough. He was a little hesitant at the beginning but after his second round of driving had improved his time exponentially.

2) Tulip Festival: We drove up to the Tulip festival and walked amongst the rows and rows of flowers. It was super muddy so good thing everyone had boots on and mom remembered to have everyone bring a change of shoes so as not to dirty up the new car. We got some treats while there and some good pictures too!

3) Montana Man #7: This year Emly's opted out and Nardella's opted in. There were tons of aparatus' for the kids including side-by-sides, quads and motorcycles so this was a different year for sure. Plus the lookout is up which is a good thing considering it rained several times this year.

Beckett continues to wear a retainer at night and has some significant gaps in his top row of teeth. We're wondering if the teeth coming in are just being stubborn or if the gap is just taking a long time to close. I guess we'll see as time goes on. He is very diligent about wearing his retainer and properly brushing his teeth with his sonicare!

Beckett has been inspired going to Hudson's track meets and wants to do T&F when he gets to middle school as well. He also wants to play tackle football but his parents aren't that keen on it. He is making some serious headway with Valor's coach Jenna which is a hard thing to do so we're very pleased with how he's listening and practicing.

Beckett's "Giraffee" has retired but he got a couple more from various sources (I forget who) so he's still finding comfort in and appreciating cuddles with his stuffies.

Beckett is getting taller and may be taller than mom by our next entry.

Beckett continues to be such a great kid. He is smart, athletic, curious, funny, kind and loves to be in on the joke. He recently informed us that he's an introvert (LOL).

Beckett enjoys playing basketball (HORSE) outside, kicking his soccer ball around, playing football with Hudson, riding motorcycles (although less frequently now), jumping on the trampoline (when weather permits) and lately really enjoys the game of Monopoly. He got the original edition for his birthday and got the Park Place/Boardwalk Monopoly the first time he played it and promptly put hotels on them and sank the rest of us into bankruptcy. He has recently started beating Hudson at Chess as well. Look out! When dad's at work, he still asks if he can sleep with mommy which typically results in a big YES as mommy realizes this won't last much longer.

Beckett recently had a play date with Emmett. He was at Nardella's and we invited Emmett over. Also, Cyrus on his soccer team is having a birthday party at Starfire so this will be a great way for B to socialize with his team a little bit more!

This year for B's birthday we had a small family celebration. We started the morning off with donuts, opened most of his presents (AC/DC and Seahawks t-shirts, Dude Perfect tickets, and Monopoly) and then had a blind burger test to see if he could tell the difference between McDonald's, Burger King, and Jack-in-the-box. Mom made the cake this year and it was several cupcakes in the shape of a big "B". At B's request, we had crab legs/steak for dinner and ended the day with a family move night.

Beckett's Current Favorites:
Colors: Green
Book: Ghost (author unknown)
Song: Thunderstruck (AC/DC)
Breakfast food: Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Dinner food: Sushi
Number: 12
Best friend: Syria

10 1/2 years 74 lbs 56 1/2" tall

Beckett is 10.5 years old and started back to in-person 4th grade (hybrid) with a new teacher named Ms Moffett. Ms Dye decided not to return to in-person learning for the remainder of the year. He goes to school everyday in the afternoon between 12-3. While it's not ideal at least he is getting some socialization with kids his own age and out of the house away from his brother and a monotonous routine.

Beckett seems to enjoy learning whether it's academics, games/sports, trying new foods, etc. He just started a new book series called the Secret Benedict Society and seems to be enjoying it...so far ;)

For Spring soccer, we decided to pivot away from Covington Sports as they are only offering clinic style seasons and have registered for Valor Rec. Beckett will have practice twice a week with games on Saturdays for the next 9 weeks so he's going to be busy starting tomorrow until school's out mid June.

We also just signed him up for Mr G's tennis camp in July when we return from our CA road trip.

The last 6 months' adventures have been limited given the pandemic but we have done a few new things:
1) Beckett and mom had an overnight adventure to Bainbridge. We took the ferry and had lunch in Paulsbo then stopped at the bakery for pastries. We hung out in our room and ordered take out pizza!

2) Simons introduced to a new yard game called Molkky so we bought it and have been playing it both at Blue Lake (March) and at home in our yard.

3) We just returned from a Spring Break trip to Scottsdale where we enjoyed a week of fun in the sun. We went to the Phoenix Zoo, Top Golf, and Wind Tunnel Cave. We enjoyed lots of Mexican food and Beckett tried a variety of dishes. He's becoming quite the little foodie. Lots of time was spent by the pool and on our condo balcony playing Texas Hold'em, Hearts and Spades!

Beckett got his braces off!!! He now wears a retainer for two months. He only has about 3 weeks left and then he only has to wear it at night. Woot-woot! He lost 5-6 teeth after they took his braces off which seemed super weird but I guess now there's more room for permanent teeth to come in and get straightened with his second round of braces which will happen in a couple years.

Beckett has been spending a lot of time shooting baskets after being inspired by the March Madness tournament. (Gonzaga made it to the finals but lost to Baylor). Due to the Winter weather, dirt bike riding has taken a back seat. We plan to go to the Methow in a couple weeks and maybe take them back so Beckett can show Hudson all the trails he went on w his dad up towards Black Pine on the logging roads.

Beckett still loves "Giraffee" very much and finds comfort in having him nearby especially during highly emotion times. Mom thinks it's sweet and dad wants the stuffy's to GO AWAY!!!!

Beckett is now wearing the same size shoes as mom and it probably won't be long before he is taller than mom as well. Beckett is such a great kid. He is smart, athletic, curious, funny and loves to be in on the joke. He often enjoys handing out with the adults vs with kids his own age. Hmmmm...

Aside from some mini tantrums that center around themes of injustice, he is generally a pleasure to have around. He picked up poker, hearts, and spades so quickly and now often beats the rest of us. He still sometimes asks if he can sleep with mommy when dad's at work which is always so sweet.

Beckett's Current Favorites:
Colors: Lime Green
Book: Secret Benedict Society series
Song: Epic Sax (JR Serpent)
Breakfast food: S'mores' Pancakes (Hash Kitchen, Scottsdale)
Dinner food: Sushi
Number: 11 "whatever my next age is...."
Best friend: German or Crewman