seven times around the sun

has it really been seven years since the spring that tiny noah was born?  aaron and i joke that we are the ones who have grown up since then!  we look back and realize how little we knew about parenting.  we had a lot of energy and enthusiasm, but no experience and not much information.  we may not have had the best parenting strategies, the most stable routines, or the most elaborate organic meals.  but we did our best to make our little boy feel comfortable, safe, loved and to have fun, learn and explore at every opportunity.  i think we did okay!  and our tiny white-haired boy has grown into an amazing seven-year-old.

here's a fun reminder of noah's seven times around the sun:

noah turns one!

noah turns two!

noah turns three!

noah turns four!

noah turns five!

noah turns six!

noah turns seven!

noah has had such a wonderful year this year in first grade at his new school.  his teacher is amazing and really seems to appreciate noah's inquisitiveness, sense of humor and quirkiness.  he has had a lot of fun with projects like writing "how-to" books, building a covered wagon for his pioneer unit, making cardboard robot creations for arts week, drawing at every opportunity, and studying his family tree for the genealogy unit.

noah loves geography and is better than me at identifying places around the world.  for his birthday he got the game, "the scrambled states of america" and remains undefeated!

noah has aaron's natural understanding of numbers, and they love to play math games together.  it won't be long before noah's math skills exceed mine and i won't be able to check his homework anymore!

he has taken off with reading this year and would stay up late into the night reading in bed if we let him.  we have to remember to tell him it's time for light's out!  he is enjoying the "magic tree house" series, the "clementine" books, the "homer price" books, the "stink" series, and of course lots and lots of nonfiction, especially fact books, geography, space, dinosaurs and of course, vehicles!  often i'll ask noah to read to isla and/or ezra, and they love spending this time with their big brother.

noah seems to have lots of fun with ezra right now, but is more off and on in his relationship with isla.  they have more competition and lots of arguments about "fairness."  i was reading on the wonderful blog, the parenting passageway about the seven-year-change, and she says these kinds of things are very common in the seven-year-old.  we will continue to work on the importance of kindness, helping others without needing something in return, and contributing to the family in a meaningful way (without whining!).

noah has been enjoying sports a bit more this year, and is more and more comfortable in his body.  he is having lots of fun with soccer and rock climbing right now.

of course his favorite pastime is still building with legos!  he builds his sets over and over, and continues to come up with cool creations.  he is looking forward to doing another lego robotics camp this summer.

noah has such a wonderful sense of humor and loves to tell us jokes.  he understands puns and irony, which makes it fun for me.  i love hanging out with him, reading with him, and playing games with him.  what a fun, smart and creative big boy!  noah barnes, we all love you so much.  we hope your seventh year is full of joy.