Seven Years Old

Bo. What can I say about you? You still light up my life. You are such an amazing little guy, I feel like I won some kind of super awesome lottery that I got to be your mom. And speaking of which, you aren't such a little guy anymore. In fact, every time I notice this, it kind of breaks my heart. You've grown a LOT in the last six months. This year, you lost your last little speech impediment. At 6 and a half, you couldn't say your R's. Somewhere between then and now, you started to. I miss that sweet little "o" at the end of a lot of words.

But I also love the big kid you've become. You are witty and clever and it still surprises me. Recently you and I were looking on half.com to buy a used book and it cost more than you were willing to pay so you suggested that I look on "quarter.com" for a cheaper one. It was so witty, I just didn't expect it from you and didn't get it right away. I love that your humor has developed so much in just 7 short years. I think we are in store for many, many years of laughing with you.

Right now you are standing next to me reading what I write. That's another thing that happened this year. You can read anything and you like to read everything. So, that means no more spelling things to dad to hide something from you, and I have to be careful of what I'm reading or writing because you could easily be watching.

You've read with Dad several Harry Potter books this year, one Percy Jackson (like many things, you like the idea of those books, but they are still a little too advanced for you), a handful of Magic Treehouse books (which are perfect books for you but are painful to read as an adult) and you've recently discovered Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I have to admit, Dad and I think they are pretty hilarious too, and we love that you love them. You read them by yourself but still like having them read to you as well.

You are still reading what I write, and correcting me. Niiiiiiiice, Bo, nice.

I love your smile. You've lost a few teeth. Still the cutest little smile.

You have really started to come into yourself this year. You had a great first grade teacher that helped to cultivate your (you just blurted out "mind!" but that's not what I was going to write) love for reading and writing, and even math. You are a natural at math and love it. But this year, your reading really took off and you've discovered a talent for writing. You have a great mind and a great ability to write what is in it. I hope you write for the rest of your life. I love your stories.

You have a tender heart. You are a tough kid though. You don't cry easily (except when you are tired and then you cry because the wind blows) and you work hard to be brave. You had an incident at school several months ago where you got bullied a little and several kids were being really mean to you. Sometimes other kids don't know how mean they are being and I think that might have been the case. You were tough, you didn't do anything mean back, but you also didn't back down and let them hurt you or see you cry. See, Dad wants to see you be tough, and I want to see you be good, and you managed to do both. :)

In fact, that pretty much sums you up for me. You are such a good, good boy. That's not to say you don't ever get in trouble, and don't ever do things you shouldn't. You are also a very normal boy. :) But you really just naturally make good choices and have a good strong desire to do what is right. I am grateful every day to be the mom of a boy like that. It makes me proud to be a part of your family, and proud to be your mom.

You are somewhat impressionable with your friends. If another kid talks about wanting a cell phone, so do you. But when we ask you what you'd use it for, you kind of laugh, realizing you have absolutely no need for it. It's kind of funny to me.

Today you want to go to the convenient store and buy sunflower seeds, "there are three different flavors to choose from", and you'd like to spit the seeds on the ground like the neighbor kid is doing. No thank you. But it still amuses me that you ask.

This last year your best friend moved away. It was very sad for all of us. Fortunately we got to go visit them soon after the moved, so the sting of their departure was lessened. But we have really really missed them, and you've missed Caleb and Joe a lot. Saying goodbye to friends like that will happen a lot in life---you've really handled it well. You guys send each other "letters" (mostly pictures with one sentence) and talk on the phone and he's still the best friend you've ever had. You are a lot alike in some of the important ways, so I won't be surprised if you stay friends for a long time, even if you don't live near each other.

You basically think Dad is the most awesome person on the planet. That entails smartest, funniest, coolest, most interesting, etc. I agree with you almost 100 percent. Except funniest. I'm way funnier than he is---you just don't appreciate my humor yet. :) You and dad have a good thing going. You are lucky to have such a great dad and he is lucky to have such a cool son.

You don't talk much about how you are feeling, or what you did in a day---but it always comes out eventually. I have had to learn that, and it took me a long time. You like to talk and share, but it's on your terms. When I try to push it, the boy who remembers people and places from when he was two years old answers, "Uh, I can't remember" about something that happened 1 hour before. I'm on to you now. I know that means, "I don't want to talk about it." So as hard as it is for me to do, I leave you alone. Mostly.

Of course, bedtime, when I'm exhausted and ready to have quiet time to myself, you would like to tell me every thought you've ever had since the beginning of your time on this earth. Someday we'll meet in the middle.

This year you really got into PE. You really took to heart all the things your PE teacher taught you. It was really cute to see you practice running with longer strides, and doing exercises you've learned. Running fast does not come naturally to you but you have practiced and practiced and practiced so much to become better. And you have! You are also a really good sport, which really makes me proud. You don't cry or sulk if you don't win. It makes you sad not to win, but it also makes you want to try harder. I LOVE that about you. You ran a mile at a St. Patrick's Day run. Do you know how awesome it is that a six year old ran an entire mile? You did such a great job and I was so proud of your perseverance.

I love you Bo. I know you know that. I hope you never doubt how much we love you. It's bigger than words, bigger than dreams, bigger than Texas.