Our T turned 11 earlier this month. How do we have an 11 year old?!
At this age, it’s all about Lego – an activity that he and the hubby enjoy doing by themselves and with each other.
T has long displayed an aptitude for STEM activities, building and figuring things out with marble runs, like Gravitrax, or using things around the house – chairs, pillows, cushions, boxes – to build forts.
His tutor, Ms Karen, says he’s very creative and when he’s interested, he demonstrates focus and perseverance.
I think he has a wonderful and creative imagination.
The past few weeks, he’s gotten up early on his own or shown no protest when we wake him up, so he could work on Lego.
He received Lego house sets for Christmas and his birthday from us and his grandparents.
I like that Lego teaches him to work through frustrations – although there are random moments when a loud scream or table bang would rattle the silence, because he’s stuck on a step.
In fairness to T, these Lego sets are for users 18+ – so he’s doing a great job following the thick manual of instructions on his own.
Life is like a house – built one brick at a time, on a blank foundation.
There are perceived norms we try to follow and moments when we get stuck in frustration.
The biggest lesson in the last 10 years as a family is to focus on progress not perfection.
I love seeing T’s progress with his Lego projects.
A house is a container. It’s the moments inside that animates life with memories: of birthdays, camping trips and roasting hotdogs by the fire, of roadtrips, and so much more.
We’re on the cusp of T’s teen years and I dread what I anticipate will be challenging times.
As T’s aptitude with Lego reminds us, focus on the strengths and build up from them. They’ll provide the foundational support for everything else.
T’s 11th birthday was lowkey.
He was disappointed we didn’t do a party, like we did the year before.
We explained parties are expensive and that his 10th birthday was a milestone year. We’ll do another one when he turns 13 and 16.
The night before his birthday, he sulked and vented about not getting a party nor decorations in the house, as in previous years.
I gave him a reassuring hug before he went to bed and said things will be ok in the morning.
He woke up to balloons taped along the stairway, outside his room, leading up to our foyer closet – with a happy birthday banner and our traditional large shiny number balloons – an 11 this year.
We had pizza and opened presents in the evening and enjoyed a small “rehearsal” cake, just the three of us, as it was a school night.
Later that weekend, we had lunch with family and enjoyed his “real” cake; a Slither-themed chocolate cake with buttercream icing.
He loved it.
My Life With T 
Happy Birthday T!! Great job on the Lego!!
11 – where did the time go??
It looked like a fun birthday and the cake looks delicious.
LikeLike
Happy birthday to T. Lego is such a wonderful toy and it teaches so many skills. Any play where kids are building and creating is much better than screen time.
LikeLike
This is such a show-stopper of a statement, Ab…a gorgeous, grounding reminder for folks in so many stages and phases of life:
“The biggest lesson in the last 10 years as a family is to focus on progress not perfection”…
Loads of love to all three of you…but you know. Extra hugs for the fabulous one celebrating #11! 💝😊💝
LikeLike
Happy Birthday to T! A wonderful post and reminder that it takes one brick at a time to create a firm foundation. Growth and learning all along the way for a solid structure in the end.
LikeLike
Sounds like T had a lovely birthday. Hard to believe he’s already 11! When did that happen!?! Lego is such a fun activity for everyone. Glad to hear T is interested in it and is clearly skilled at it if he’s already completing sets rated 18+. We can spend so much time worrying about the future, but it’s a good reminder to focus on the present and ensure there’s a solid foundation. Enjoy the rest of the week and Family Day long weekend!
LikeLike
You and your partner are wonderful parents to T. I have many happy memories of playing with Lego. (I still want to call them Legos 🤣).
So many great parenting lessons in this post, Ab, but the big payoff line was, “The biggest lesson in the last 10 years as a family is to focus on progress, not perfection.”
LikeLike
Wow, 11 already! I knew it, but time sure is flying by and I definitely can see not only T’s progress but your family as a whole. You gentlemen are awesome!
LikeLike
T and Lego rock! Love the structure and creativity of Lego. It doesn’t go away btw. We got our 21-year old son a Lego set for Christmas. Now it was complicated and all . . . but I still had to tease him about asking for toys. Ha, ha. Happy Birthday to T!
LikeLike
it all sounds wonderful and he’s showing quite an aptitude for lego and building. while it can be frustrating, it is engaging him for long periods of time so that’s wonderful. I love on the box that it says for ages up to 99, so you can tell him that he has lots of years yet to go! I love your birthday traditions and how you are building a house/home just like T, and learning and growing as a family as you go. happy birthday to T! (p.s. If you ever end up with a tub of pieces, check out the Brickit app, which will scan what you have and give you suggestions of what you can build with them)
LikeLike
Happy birthday to T! 11 – that’s amazing. Love your reflection about a house being just a container. You all are doing so much to build so many great memories and foundational skills. Love the way you did up his birthday! Here’s to a great year ahead!
LikeLike
Thank you so much for following my blog. And happy birthday to your son.😘
LikeLike
That’s a great birthday! Lego is one of my favourites, so much so that we kept our daughters legos and finally we get to play with our grandson.
LikeLike
Gosh, I can’t build that house.🤩😁 My third eldest sister once bought a Lego and I assembled it for an hour and the figure is just so tiny. No way!🤭😁
Anyway, happy birthday to T. He has a bright future ahead. He excels in STEM and we focus on that area.
Hugs, Ab.
LikeLike
Happy Birthday to T! I miss the Lego years. My kids and grandkids were all into building. I have one grandson who is 20 years old and is into the adult sets.
LikeLike