This is my nephew Teddy. If I'm being honest, he is my favorite red headed nephew. I tell him this every year on his birthday only. I don't want him to get a swelled head. He was born 7+ months after Madison, and like her he just completed his first year in college. That's where the resemblance ends.
Ted, as he is now referred to by people who are intimidated by his 6+ foot stature, was vastly different from the first three grandchildren. He brought silliness and lightheartedness into the family. He was the character of all of the grandchildren. He wasn't cautious. He went at things at a run. He wasn't timid. He flat out said what he expected. He was all boy, full of vim and vigor, and he was more of a get 'er done and ask questions and permission later kind of a kid. But while he was all of that, he was also kind and gentle in subtle ways, as if he just wanted to keep that knowledge on the down low.
As he grew, so did his personality. While he played like he was quiet and shy he wasn't. Not really. Not around those of us who knew him. He was very good, however, at lurking around in the background gathering information, listening in to conversations, and using all of that to his advantage if he needed to. He was probably the instigator in a lot of cousin activity, but then he could also feign innocence with those wide eyes and "who me" look that he worked to perfection.
Ted's a huge sports fan whether playing or cheering, and he is highly competitive. He played baseball for years, earning plenty of accolades, and he isn't a bad golfer playing through high school and college. While he supports his local teams; Bears, Cubs, and Blackhawks, and cheers for the Dolphins, deep down he knows the Steelers are the best team and has been known to sport some of their clothing. He is very knowledgeable about all sports and can be counted on for a good discussion about any team or individual. I enjoy texting and tweeting him during football season and March Madness, giving him tips and insight into which team will pull out the win.
Ted's shock of red hair, vastly different from his immediate family, fits right in with my girls' red hair, and when he is with us he gets mistaken for their brother. Darcy will tell you he acts like her brother, abusing and picking on her, but the four are really good buddies. Ted now towers over all three of them, having shot up in the last three years, but he still likes to remain in the background, sizing up the others until its time to bounce. He can argue with the best of them, and proves his point on topics from a much different angle than the two older ones. He can add a zinger without the sting because he does it slyly, and half the time people don't even know they've been Ted stung.
He is also very witty and funny, and his laugh is contagious. He has a huge heart and a kindness beyond his years. He's seriously a cool kid, well, I guess adult now, but we don't admit that often because we want him to stay grounded.
Happy birthday Teddy! We can't imagine our clan without you. Hugs and sloppy, wet kisses to you! Oh, and the check is in the mail.
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