10

While I've been posting lots about Ella Publishing's Take Twelve photography and scrapbooking challenge, something else pretty big was happening here.

This guy:

Turned 10!

Sam, at 10, is:

• fond of his toy firearms
• funny
• curious
• kind 
• a leader
• a lover of science and nature
• still in possession of some very soft and kissable cheeks (even if they are half the size they were when he was a baby).

Here's a little tale of Sam that demonstrates most of the above attributes:

One day in the playground there was a big, bright, green grasshopper. Now, Orthodox, Jewish, city-dwelling kids are not famous for their love of entomology. Lots of the children oohed and ahhed and pointed at the grasshopper, but kept a nice distance. Sam walked straight up to him, picked him up, and carried the little critter around the park. At some point, Sam had an entourage of 10-15 kids, of all ages, following his every move. Sam took that grasshopper home, and did the best he could to create a nice little habitat for him. But after a day or so, he felt a bit guilty about keeping him captive, and so, he let him go.

If Sam continues on the same path for the next 10 years, I think he'll turn out just fine. Just fine, indeed.