{Tanner}

Tanner's turn. I meant to post about each of my boys in a week , BUT of course that didn't happen.

Tanner is our rational boy. You can reason with him, you can calm him down, he doesn't let his emotions control him. He is more laid back and calm about things. Starting something new isn't usually a problem as long as i prepare him for it about a week before.
He has a very level head about him. When his other brothers are whining and complaining about having to clean or do something we asked them to do, he is the one who just goes and does it. When i feel like i DO NOT want to hear anymore complaining from Gavin or Jaydon that's when i look over and notice TANNER doing what was asked of him without complaining. AND THAT helps me to not completely turn into a crazy lady on the other two boys. :) It warms my heart.

I am so grateful for Tanner's sweet and calm presence. It is refreshing. He definitely has his moments though. For example, he has a very specific way of needing his shoes tied. He will almost panic if the loops(bunny ears) aren't the same exact size. If one loops is bigger than the other then be prepared for him to start all over. He doesn't like the strings that are left hanging after he has finished tying his shoes. So he makes sure to stuff those underneath the laces. And often times his socks will bug him. He ends up taking his shoes off to adjust his sock. To me it doesn't look like he adjusted anything, but to him it makes all the difference. He will have a melt down if he can't dress himself or pick out what shoes or flip flops he wants to wear. He DOES NOT like wearing pants and refuses to wear pants even when it's in the 50's. He is very picky with his clothes. I admire that in a way. I feel like the way you dress says a lot about you. Trying to have someone else pick your clothes and dress you is like asking someone else to tell you who you are. If you have ever seen JOE VS. THE VOLCANO you know what i am talking about. I love that movie! And that scene has stuck with me ever since because it is so true.

He loves quoting movies. And he is very fickle. Here is what i mean by that...1. He was the first to jump on board the raw fish train. He was willing to try a whole sardine(dried up) and liked it. He likes sushi and seaweed(i don't like seaweed). He likes this whole Japan cuisine. 2. He caught on very quickly to swimming. The teacher was really impressed that he was able to catch on and do everything she asked of him. He was learning swim moves at age 4 that kids don't usually learn until they are about 8. Now, here is the fickle part. Maybe fickle isn't the right word, BUT he was always so nervous and hesitant to try new things. He didn't believe . He either didn't believe in himself OR he didn't believe the teacher would be there to catch him. I think it was both. I just wanted to grab him and say "just trust her! She won't let you drown. Believe in yourself and believe she will be there." He really struggled with it. Not only that, but when he was learning to ride his bike it was very very scary for him. He kind of got it down when we were in texas. He would ride his bike down our driveway and then turn around and ride back, but he was too scared to ride on a straight level rode. When we got to Okinawa he didn't want to get back on his back. He acted so scared of it. I am not sure what it was. Shane MADE him go out to try to help him learn to ride. I left temporarily b/c i couldn't handle having him MAKE Tanner do something he didn't want to do, more specifically that he was making him ride a bike. To me it seemed so unimportant and he would eventually get it. I left, BUT when i came back Tanner was riding his bike up and down the street with a big smile on his face. He was so proud of himself. At that moment i realized that we need to do that with him, in SOME cases. He needs lots of encouraging and he needs to know we KNOW he can do it and we need to help him see that in himself. And he did that day. It was awesome.

He is smarter than he lets on. He knows a lot, but really struggles with answering a question when you put him on the spot. I am the SAME way. I would know lots of answers in my classes, but i never raised my hand to answer b/c i was afraid of it being wrong or stupid. BUT also there were times where i knew an answer and my teacher would RANDOMLY ask me a question. ANd i would freeze up and not be able to answer it. And a couple minutes later i felt so dumb b/c i did know the answer, but just can't seem to do it on the spot. He is like that. I just have to help him be more confident in himself.

He has been such a good brother to both his brothers. He loves to play and have a good time. He doesn't like to be teased a lot. He tries to make sure that the boys are doing what they SHOULD be doing(most of the time)....he still gets mischevious. He is honest. He doesn't usually show AS MUCH interest in gospel topics when we talk about them, BUT i know he is listening b/c there are many moments where he answers many gospel topic questions, and surprises me with his answers. And i think "i knew you were listening!"

He is such a good boy. We love him and are so thankful for his sweet and calm presence in our home. :)