Monday, November 2, 2009

Seven.


You are SEVEN. My brandnewbaby. The One. The First One. I cannot believe how quickly time flies between forceps and first grade. You have always been the sassy one. The BackTalker. The opinionated one who doesn't go quietly. When you moved into your Big Boy Bed you threw The Tantrum That Lasted Three Months. We're still talking about it.

Today you are bright, curious, more respectful of yourself and others. You are constantly thinking, asking addition questions and history details, and creating new ways to play. You take chess lessons (even though you are already an expert according to yourself). You love your soccer team and particularly excel in the goalie position.

You are the bravest food-tryer I've ever met. When the school cafeteria serves every kids' favorites, you choose salad. The big salad that the teachers get. You crack us up! Your favorite restaurant is Benihana and you eat it All.

You love bossing your little brother around at anything you play. The Wii, Club Penguin, Playmobil, Nerf wars, etc. You set up elaborate battalions of soldiers to recreate scenarios from your knowledge of World War II and the Civil War. When other kids are playing Bakugan, you are asking for books about wars, ancient Egypt, and the next Magic Treehouse.

You astonish us with your courage to try new things and your joy at learning. Your vocabulary has always been huge but you still pronounce animal like "aminal" and hamburger like "hang-a-ber". Sometimes I forget you are still so young. Sometimes you seem like my partner in crime.

You are always negotiating, trying to explain, or "helping" your siblings understand better. You will make a great diplomat. You will make a great anything!

You never balk at having to wear the patch on your eye. You haven't complained about your glasses since the day we got them two years ago.

Without you, our family would be an awful shade of gray and so, way, too much quiet. Thank God for you! I thank my lucky stars every day I look at you. You are a miracle and add joy to my life in ways you won't know until you become a parent. I wish you all the joy and fulfilment that life can offer you. I wish you peace and exploration. I wish you all the learning your heart desires. I love you!