Tomorrow my grandson Jonathan has a birthday. He will be 12 years old. Tonight, following the tradition I began several years ago of taking each grandchild out for a birthday dinner and giving him or her money to spend, I picked Jonathan up after school and we celebrated who he is by spending the evening together.
Jonathan is my techie grandchild. He not only understands technology, he uses it deftly and with confidence. He enjoys gaming and hosts his own YouTube channel. We had lively and interesting conversations in the car about the future of technology and the feasibility of holodecks and hover cars.
I appreciate Jonathan’s outside the box thinking and his big ideas. He converses easily about a broad range of topics and asks great questions. Jonathan is also musical, singing and playing the clarinet, and shines when he performs in plays and musicals.
Shopping was simple tonight. Jonathan knew exactly what he wanted. His dad, my son-in-law Josh, contributed to the money I had allotted for Jonathan so that this bright young man could purchase a new hand held gaming system that he has been wanting. How happy and excited Jonathan was, leaving the gaming store with his early birthday gift.
In fact, my grandson was so eager to try out his new 3DS Gaming System that he opted for going through the Wendy’s drive through rather than dining out for his birthday meal. The kids get to choose the restaurant and meal for their birthday dinners. Wendy’s drive through it was!
Jonathan and I spent a fun evening together at his house. I watched him play a new version of Super Mario on his hand held gaming device. He chatted about what he was doing as he maneuvered Mario through various worlds. When he created a level for me to play through, I was willing to try. Although I am not a great gamer, I used to play Super Mario with my kids when they were young. The music is the same. The graphics are much improved.
I surprised Jonathan and myself by making it through the level he devised for me. Talk about saving face with my gamer grandson! I especially loved that Jonathan did a quick video for me this evening, to share in my blog post. He is quite comfortable being filmed and does an excellent job of narrating in a fun and instructive way as he plays.
Check out Jonathan’s video HERE
I am grateful for Jonathan. He has a beautiful heart and soul and a creative and inquisitive nature. I look forward to journeying along side him. With all the technology that awaits us in the near future, Ill need this sharp young man to help me play on through. Happy birthday, Super Jonathan. I love you!
