Welcome Bean!  What an epic birthday present Maddie!

You’re a tiny, cute kitty with many admirers already… well except for one.

I witnessed a serious stare-down today by a certain cat named Oreo who’s large and seriously in charge at the Beaupre household.

Feline foes?  Or Fellow furries?  We’ll see how things play out!

Congrats on graduating from 8th grade Camden!

10 reasons Grammy and I are proud of you, in no particular order:

1.  2020 was (is) something, one of the most challenging and unique school years in history, thanks to COVID-19.  Not many students will be able to say “My eighth grade year was during the pandemic. We left school March 13 and never went back into the building.”  Proud of how you maneuvered through new ways of learning, kept your cool and did your best. And how you rolled with the punches, missing  a class trip to Washington, D.C., hockey games and a more normal graduation.
2. Elementary school is finis- you’re a young adult, no longer a kid!
3. High school awaits – an important four year era dawns. You will shine and prosper Camden!
4. Your smarts – think of all the knowledge you’ve gained across a wide breath of subjects and topics. It was neat looking at your end-of-year report, including all the positive comments about your STEM (and other) abilities. I learn something new every time I’m around you!
5.  Your physical transformation has been something to see, especially this past year. You’re taller than your Mom – your adult growth spurt will be upon you at any moment, likely kicking in your Freshman year.  You make such a positive presentation. Always believe in yourself!
6. Emotional growth –  you’ve always been confident but over the past two years you’ve added an observable level of calm, logical intelligence that makes you a strong leader and problem solver.
7. Well-roundedness – I’ve often blogged about the range of your interests. You enjoy gaming and love hockey, riding your bike, figuring out complicated engineering challenges, playing board games, swimming and  learning new things – and so much more.
8.  Athletic abilities –  another epic transformation over time.  We’ve had such a blast watching you mature on the ice, taking charge, being a leader.
9. Your eagerness to say yes. I have so many memories of you doing this over the years, from jumping off tall rocks in the middle of a lake, to trying baseball again after a long layoff (brave!), zip-lining and so much more.  Keep pushing yourself to experience new (sometimes scary) things; it’s how we all grow in this life. Keep saying yes.
10. Your kindness and love.  Being with you is one of the highlights of my life.  I treasure every moment of our 3M and 2M adventures over the years – we’ve done so much!  Every small moment, too, is precious, whether we’re just talking, going for a walk, talking after a hockey game or hanging together on your birthday. Incredible memories I will treasure always.