Oliver is SEVEN Years Old

Oliver turned 7 today.  He has grown (in stature) and maturity so much this past year.  He is still the curious, clever, methodical, and loving boy he has always been.  But, there is a layer of maturity and empathy that is starting to develop.  He enjoys playing with his friends, Beyblade battles, matchbox cars, Pokémon, and his beloved turtles.  His favorite subjects in school are art, reading, science, and math; and his least favorite is writing.  While he does not enjoy the physical process of writing, he loves sharing his ideas and has a vast vocabulary.  He is conquering his fear of water and expanding his physical activities to climbing and bike riding.  His spirit animal is an “alien turtle.”  He is fearless with his imagination and confident in his world view, but can become shy when there is too much attention focused on him or his physical traits.  He is most comfortable when wearing his hoodie and sunglasses.  He has a relaxed (“cool”) way about him and loves one-on-one interactions.  He has an analytical mind and can sometimes get lost in his thoughts.  He will stay up all night reading books if left to his own schedule.  Oliver is a protective big brother, a loyal friend, a loving son, and an expert at turning “enemies into friends.”  I am thankful for the unbelievable collection of life events and randomness of nature that allowed for this amazing human to come into the world and moreover to be one of the best things to ever come into my life.  Happy Birthday Oliver!

Adeline Turned Two (in December)

Oh, did I forget to mention that Adeline turned two (and Meghan turned 27) back in December....

Little Climbers

Oliver has started to take an interest in climbing.  Since Adeline will try anything that Oliver does, she is showing a willingness to try it too.  Oliver was recently invited to a birthday party at a local "Go Ape".  To my surprise, despite the pouring rain, he braved the 20 foot high ropes course and had the best time, including his first zip line!

Our Girl

Sometimes if Joe is wrestling or tickling the kids and Oliver is feeling especially protective, he will say, "Dad, don't mess with our girl!"  She certainly is our girl.  A bubbly, sassy, full of joy girl that is an essential part of our little family.  She loves to sing, write, and go to the coffee shop.  She is independent and tries her best to keep up with her big brother.  She is so generous with her smiles, hugs and love.  She is our Adeline, our girl.

Summer Fun

It has been a great summer so far.  Hard to believe that there are only a few more weeks left.  Oliver has participated in his first summer of day camps.  Fortunately, he has loved most of the camps (Lego, Multi-sport, Coding, Spy, and more), and it has been a lot of fun for him.  Adeline's school offers a full summer program, so it was not much of a change up for her.

Last weekend we took the kids for a long weekend to the Bethany Beach.  They loved the family time, ocean, boardwalk, and hotel pool.

Sharing a few summer pictures below.  And yes, Oliver's favorite clothing item, sun or rain, is the ever present hoodie.

Last Day of First Grade

Ready for Camp

Summer Strolls

Big Brother

Swim Class Buddies

Beach Babies

First Lost Tooth

About a month ago, Oliver was in the backseat of the car and his fingers were in his mouth.  In my mom voice, I told him to get his fingers out of his mouth because he was going to pick up germs and get sick.  He looked a little defeated so I asked what was the matter.  He told me that he was just checking his teeth to see if any were loose.  He said, "I know that because I am smaller than everyone, I won't lose my teeth at the same time, but I wanted to check."  This was the first I had heard about the tooth loss epidemic going on in his class.  He named all his classmates who had lost teeth and several kids who had lost multiple teeth.  He told me about the various aspects of what happens when a kid loses a tooth at school and shared a few secondhand stories about some other kids and how they lost their first tooth.  I was surprised.  Not necessarily surprised that I was not in the loop about this being a big deal to first graders.  But, surprised at how much he cared.  It was clear to me that in his mind this was a right of passage and something that he felt he wanted to be a part of.  I told him that I didn't know when he would lose his first tooth, that kids lose them at all different times, and that just because he was smaller did not mean he would be the last.  I said all that even though inside I wondered if he was right, would his tooth loss be delayed too?

We got our answer a couple weeks later when he came into my room one morning and said, "Mom, is my tooth loose?"  I felt the suspect, and sure enough there was a little bit of a wiggle.  The joy that came across his face when I confirmed was pure.  He was so proud.  And despite my son being the most cautious of little boys, he was not squeamish in the least about wiggling that tooth.   He thinks it is hilarious that I get the shivers just looking at it.  But, he updates me each day and gives me a full wiggle report.

Joe is out of town for work and Eileen was babysitting tonight until I got home.  The kids had just finished bath when I got home and Oliver was in his room getting dressed.  He looked at me and said, "Hey mom, do you notice anything?"  I knew immediately why he was grinning ear to ear!

So the story I pieced together from Oliver and Eileen is this...

When they got home from school Oliver said he wanted some alone time up in his room.  So Eileen was making supper for the kids with Adeline downstairs when about half an hour later Oliver yells downstairs, "So how much longer is this going to bleed?"  To which she rushed upstairs to find Oliver in the bathroom.  I asked Oliver if it hurt, he said, "no."  So I said, "Oh, did it just fall out?"  He said, "No, I just grabbed it and pulled really, really hard and kept pulling and then it popped out!"

After hugging and checking out his new grin, I asked to see the tooth.  To which he responded, "I lost it."  What??  He told Eileen that it looked really weird and gross so he threw it away.  But, when they searched the trash they could not find it.  He also told Eileen not to text me because he didn't want to creep me out.

The kids are now settled in bed, and when I am done writing this I will go dig though the trash myself.  First, I need to stop crying.  I am so happy for him.  He gets to go to school tomorrow and tell his friends about his first tooth.  And even though he was so proud to show me, it's not me that he wants to tell the most.  He is most proud to be just like the other kids his age, not the last one, but right in the pack.  And my heart is happy for him that he gets to experience this right along with the rest of his friends.

Now I need to find that darn tooth!

This picture is the "before" shot.  After I took it this morning before we left for school, Oliver asked me, "Did you get my wiggly tooth in it, mom?"  Good thing I did!