Day 78 | March 19, 2018

The flagstones were puzzle pieced together.

Day 79 | March 20, 2018

My baby is officially seven years old today. A quick list about this handsome young man so I don’t forget what he is like right now …

• You have the best laugh – it always makes me want to laugh right along with you.
• You are really into making an annoying growl instead of answering us. I am not sure where it came from and I cannot wait for it to go away, haha.
• While some days it is a chore to get you to practice the piano, when you put your mind to it and do it, you learn and improve so quickly that I am in awe. Maybe this next year will be one where you have more patience to sit for longer? And I can’t wait for your recital.
• You really don’t like art all that much. Getting you to draw pictures and do art projects is pretty much a waste of time. Thankfully your teacher doesn’t push it!
• You love sports, especially soccer and basketball. And you love riding your bike around our neighborhood. And you are really good at kick ball at school.
• Thankfully you bounce back pretty quick when you get upset – I love how you are generally easy going.
• You put up a hunger strike at dinner time for about half the meals I prepare … meals that are super kid friendly but you just decide you don’t like, even when you haven’t even tried a bite of food.
• You like to be helpful and are always willing to help your brother out (especially if he is too scared to do something).
• School is so much fun for you this year – you love your teacher, have a bunch of great friends and are always willing to do your homework without complaint.
• You absolutely need to eat right away in the morning or it quickly becomes, “THE WORST DAY EVER!”
• You get along with pretty much everyone and happily play with anyone.

And here is the man of the hour talking to his aunt, uncle and cousins in California.

Day 80 | March 21, 2018

Carter got some new dominoes over the weekend and built his biggest pyramid structure yet!

Day 81 | March 22, 2018

Look! The mens swim team visited our book club this month!

Day 82 | March 23, 2018

So yeah … snow in March. Once again.

Day 83 | March 24, 2018

Nine going on thirteen. I tried all day to get a nice photo of Carter for his birthday, but all I got was surly teenage-like expressions from him each time I asked. So now he will know what he was like on his ninth birthday, haha. And like with Gavin, here is Carter’s quick list about what he is like right now…

• Lets just start with those blue eyes. I have always been a sucker for them and yours are magnificent.
• You are the strongest willed kid I have ever met. This is an attribute that I will be so appreciative of when you are grown, but it sure can make parenting you a challenge.
• You love to read and I love the occasional moments when you curl up with me when I have my book and you have yours. Those make my heart so happy.
• You have this lovely habit of always correcting people when they are not precise in what they say … or if you have knowledge that is contrary. While I can appreciate your vault-like mind, your brother does not.
• You are very good at strategy and puzzle solving games, really anything with a pattern and you shine. And we now play games with you like we would an adult because you can keep up.
• You love riding your bike and playing out in the fort you created in the backyard.
• Your imagination is detailed with the pretend games you play and you can sometimes be a little bossy because you need things to match your expectations.
• You are thriving in school – knocking out fractions like a champ right now in math, reading anything you can get your hands on and you only like writing if you can type it (hand writing things takes too long and your mind goes too fast and your hands can’t keep up) and your word work if you can do it on a computer. On the flip side, this is the second year with the same teacher and you are a little too comfortable with her and occasionally I get an email or a phone call about your unwillingness to cooperate (*ahem* see strong willed above).
• You. Love. Video Games. Sadly you end up getting consequences that remove them as a privilege an awful lot… I always ask you if it is worth it and have yet for you to tell me yes.
• You feel everything intensely. You get intensely happy, intensely sad, intensely angry … you are so enjoyable to be around when that intensity is positive. And so difficult when that intensity skews negative.
• This last year you have been so affectionate – giving hugs and wanting to cuddle. I love snuggling with you so much and hope that never fades.

And here is the surly face of someone who is now nine. The last year of single digits. I can’t believe he is so old!

Day 84 | March 25, 2018

Jeremy broke some of the stones to fill in the bigger gaps between and then I tried to level everything out. Only a few more stones that are not balanced that I need to take care of and then we fill in with dirt! Here is a view from upstairs of the patio.