Lucky "Jaw-some" birthday!

 

 

Our oldest child is seven years old!  Seven seems like such a leap from the "little kid" six!

I have no idea how much Iver weighs at this point. He's grown at least two inches and lost six teeth in this last year (his two front permanent teeth are actually coming in for Christmas!) but we haven't taken him to a well child visit in a few years. He loves wearing tank tops, pink leggings, and crocs (without socks, the texture of which, as a highly sensitive child, seem to bother his feet).  He's a funny and affectionate boy who loves hugs and kisses.

He attends Spanish-immersion first grade and is thriving in school, reading, writing, and doing math above grade level as well as speaking Spanish with a great accent. He has an incredible memory for events and facts and is extremely sharp with perfectionistic tendencies.  He likes to lead and is far more open to new experiences and people now than he was as a toddler. We have been working on respectful requests and attitude, respecting others' personal boundaries and space, humility, and improved frustration tolerance, patience, and flexibility at home.

He's still quite the energetic, "spirited" child, and doesn't like missing out on stuff. He sleeps well from 8-6 a.m. but is basically an alarm clock in the mornings and never naps. His intense energy has proven to be a positive in the outdoors-exploring department. He has hiked with us easily on hikes as long as eight miles without complaining and learned to swim this year. He loves outdoor play including playground four-square, chase, soccer, climbing, and monkey bars. 

He is a proficient reader and loves both fiction and nonfiction, particularly the I Survived book series (historical fiction about natural disasters). He is showing interest in music, including violin (during after-care at school) and piano (home-taught). He has become quite the artist, his main hobby being drawing cartoons at home, which has in part replaced his passion for fort-building. 

Kelvin was asked to be Godparents to his longtime friend Tina's twin boys, and so we came down to Orange County for the pre-Christmas week to attend their baptism. Auntie Katherine threw Iver a shark-themed ("Jaw-some!") family birthday party at Kenn & Lisa's on Saturday a few days before his actual birthday.

The birthday boy, sporting his new sharkie hoodie

party planner and aunt, extraordinaire

(I'm thankful to have been relieved of any party planning responsibilities)

(pandemics call for fanning, not blowing out, candles, apparently)

Tina and Chris stopped by with their boys, Cody and Logan, so we could be introduced before the big baptism day.

Kelvin found out about a (VR) Laser Tag place at the Westminster Mall and Iver enjoyed an hour's experience with cousins Kingston and Angel on his actual birthday ("the best ever!")

I can't believe our solstice baby is seven!  Happy birthday, lucky "jaw-some" boy!