Owen's birthday celebrations lasted about a month ;) It started with celebrating his and Grandpa's birthday with family.
He picked Golden Corral for his actual birthday dinner because he wanted to go to a place where they sing to you. Who is this kid??? When the time actually came, he acted nonchalant. 
Due to spring break and Easter, his birthday sleepover was a couple weeks after his birthday. He had a few friends over, two were going to spend the night, but then one got sick (the same happened to a different friend at his New Year's sleepover, so we've decided not to get Papa Johns for dinner on sleepover nights anymore!).
Owen requested a TNT ice cream cake for his party and Willow was excited to make it for him. We did some research but they were all made in circular pans, so we did our best to adapt using the information we had. She even put a fudge and cookie layer like Dairy Queen does!
We quickly learned that regular frosting does not stick to a frozen whipped cream layer. We did our best and agreed that it would still taste good!
The sparkler "candles" were only appropriate for a TNT cake! Luckily it didn't explode! ;)
They enjoyed the extra sparklers after it got dark. 
Weight: 105 (87%ile)
Height: 5' 1.5" (94%ile)
BMI: 19 (78%ile)
Here are his 20 questions:
What is your favorite color? green
What is your favorite activity? playing Bakugan
What is your favorite fruit? apple
What is your favorite TV show? Ninjago
What is your favorite thing to eat at lunch? grilled cheese (with pepperoni)
What is your favorite type of clothes? socks
What is your favorite game to play? Pokémon
What is your favorite snack? Cheez Its
What is your favorite animal? bobcat
What is your favorite song? We Will Rock You
What is your favorite book? Warriors
Who is your best friend? Cole
What is your favorite cereal? Cinnamon Toast
What is your favorite thing to do outside? play with sticks
What is your favorite drink? juice
What is your favorite holiday? Christmas
What do you take to bed at night? Buddy Buddy
What is your favorite thing to eat at breakfast? scrambled eggs
What did you have for dinner on your birthday? Golden Corral
What job do you want to have when you're older? YouTuber
It's hard to believe Owen is 11! He's getting taller by the day and is already creeping up on me in height! He is a smart young man who achieves well academically in school. He earned straight As all year and passed his SOL tests. His teachers recommended him for advanced classes in middle school. He's respectful to his teachers and they report that he has a variety of friends that he plays with. He got marked down on his report card for being too "handsy"...jokingly pushing or being in people's space. They said he's a bit immature compared to his peers. He's really enjoyed volunteering at the SPCA so we hope that continues to give him a way of growing up and serving others. He enjoys picking out the dogs that we work with each time. He's responsible for the poop bag and treats. There have been a handful of dogs that jumped on him playfully, which has tested his bravery. He says he prefers the smaller dogs/puppies but they often come with extra energy that can be unpredictable at times. Owen still enjoys his Ninja class and has been at a new gym this school year that's challenged him in some new ways. It's going to feel great when he beats that warped wall! Owen still enjoys battling Chris in Pokémon. There's a local store where he enjoys playing (and often wants to buy cards...). He's played in a couple tournaments and has learned a lot from the owner who played with him once as well. In addition to Pokémon, he is enjoying collecting Bakugan. Star Wars seems to be taking a break these days. He still has a bajillion Lego but doesn't play with them as much. Owen does great with 98% of our dinners these days, which is a huge area of growth for him. Owen loves to read. You won't find him eating breakfast or lunch without a book beside him. He enjoys reading with us before bed as well. When he stays up "late" (8:30) on the weekends, he's usually drawing or reorganizing Pokémon cards instead of reading, but will regularly read in the morning before coming out of his room. He still has to stay in bed until 6am and is usually out of his bed then or shortly after, only needing to be woken up for school a handful of times. He is an amazing artist. He creates characters that go along with his latest books or games and lists details about their strengths and abilities. He loooooooves his tablet time and will set 15 minute timers to use his hour to be divided into multiple different things. His favorite games lately are Minecraft and Bloons. He has a few YouTubers he watches play games. He wishes he had a way to screen record himself playing to add to his YouTube channel but his tablet isn't new enough and his parents aren't smart enough ;) He's a sweet boy with a heart of gold!
