Almost Seven

The countdown is on...

Next week, my children will celebrate their 7th birthday.

This morning I was thinking about all the 'small things' that make me happy about this age. There are too many to list exhaustively, but here are a few that come to mind immediately:

1. Hearing them try to put big words into sentences. This morning K chastised P for eating his Cheerios with his fingers, then did the same thing. P exclaimed, "You just hypocritted!!!"

2. Sidewalk chalk paths for bike races all over my driveway.

3. The inventions and creations I find everywhere involving shoeboxes, bottle caps, old water bottles and the like. Seeing their little creative brains at work makes me happy.

4. Getting love notes from K. My husband and I both have sticky notes on our respective bathroom mirrors right now that she secretly placed a couple of weeks ago.

5. The confidence they are gaining at how the world works. It is not yet cocky. Instead, it is literally like light bulbs are going off all the time as they pronounce, "Mom! I figured out..."

6. They are finally (mostly) making beds and getting dressed in the morning without prompting.

7. They seem to be understanding and implementing encouragement. Earlier this week as we were leaving a baseball game R said to a teammate, "It was really good when you caught that pop fly."
While wrestling/tickling P jumped on my back and said, "You are a good Mommy."
During dinner K said, "Mom, you always make great dinners." (This is precious and laughable at the same time...my cooking prowess is not usually on anyone's list of my strengths.)

8. Their giggles. (Not unique to this age, but still my favorite sound in the world!)

9. How much all three love reading. It really is a gift! I never thought I would be threatening to take away books as punishment.

10. That I can still (barely) hold them when they are especially tired/cuddly.

11. That R still cannot pronounce his Rs despite months of speech therapy. It is time for him to get it, I know...but I am enjoying it (even while correcting him) until the end.

12. That P's ability to pronounce the SL sound is greatly reduced when he's tired, making for the PRECIOUS phrase, "Mom, I am sweepy."

13. They aren't too grown up for loveys or nightly tuck ins.

14. My K who loves 'creepy crawly things' and climbing trees suddenly has an opinion about outfits and insists on doing her own ponytails.

15. Bike/scooter riding, tree house playing, swinging and cheese tag are favorite pastimes.


Life is sweet. I am committed to savoring it.