Matthew Clinton

Almost a year ago I wrote my first post about Matthew. This year, in keeping with my new tradition that I copied from Beth, I'm posting an interview that I had with him. As usual, I'll be sprinkling pictures throughout that may or may not fit into the subject at hand.

Are you excited that you're about to be 9? If so why?
Yep, because then everybody younger than me will be kind of jealous and also I'll be older and closer to being a teen.
What are you going to do on your birthday.
We're eating out at Brion's Grill

What's your favorite food?
Ribs (Interviewer's note: I'll bet he learned to love ribs from eating his Uncle Dan's grilled barbeque ribs since they're the best in the world)
How's school going for you?
Uhhhh, well better than earlier in the year because I know more people and have more friends and I'm getting used to the classroom climate.
Do you like school?
Yeh, kind of.

What's your favorite subject?
Social Studies

And how are your grades?
For the last two quarters I got two G's and the rest O's. (Interviewer's note: oh oh - maybe I won't be including this)

What does that mean?
Two Goods and the rest Outstandings (Interviewer's note: Whew! That's more like I expected since I'm pretty sure he's in the Gifted and Talented program at his school.

What books do you like to read?
Diary of a Wimpy Kid and the Thirty-Nine Clues Series
What sports are you involved in right now?
Oh, I'm doing soccer
And your favorite sport?
Football
What do you do for fun?
I play video games and play outside. Sometimes if I can't go outside, I made up a card game and I make cards for it and sometimes I eat.
What do you like best about visiting Indiana?
Seeing you. (Interviewer's note: He already had my heart but this really sealed the deal.)

Do you like having lots of cousins?
Yeah
Do you have a favorite cousin?
Ummmm, well, yeah - Evan.
What do you like about Cub Scouts?
I like the activities that we do. We make cars and boats and race them and sometimes we make candy things like snowmen out of marshmallows and pretzel sticks and for Christmas we made a sled and painted it.

Do you have certain chores that you do around the house?
Sometimes I clean my room and make my bed and pick up things around the house that are mine.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
A professional football player or be in the Army
What else is there that I forgot to ask you about?
For a hobby, I like to sleep too - but just at my house but if there are people around like friends and cousins then I like to stay up.

So that's the end of the interview but I have a few things I'd like to add along with the proof that they're true. First of all, like his mom and dad (and brother and sister) he's very athletic. You can see it in the way he swings a golf club:

Practices baseball:

And lines up for a shot in basketball:

Also, he's a team player willing to pitch in when there's work to be done:

And he's adventuresome and curious:

But most of all, he's an all-around great kid and we wish him a very, very Happy Birthday: