Freddie at 7

Loving... You continue to be a lover of almost everything.  You want to try everything, do everything, meet everyone.  You're game for trying every sport or activity and more often than not you give rave reviews about everything you try.  You still love going to school, and you are excited to get to swim, gym, the playground as soon as school lets out.  As for school, you love all of your subjects.  I'm not sure you'd pick a single favorite.  You love to be around people and part of the action.

Hating... Well, I can't think of a person or a thing that you hate.  You're still not too fond of vegetables.  But really, can't think of much else you hate.  Oh, maybe getting your fingernails trimmed?

Eating... You can be a big eater at times.  You are very physically active, so your appetite has picked up.  You like meat.  A lot.  Even eating more meat and fewer carbs at many meals.  You'l eat most fruit, but still shy away from most vegetables.  You never pass up a cheeseburger.

Reading....You are reading at about a 4th grade level these days.  Pretty impressive.  Many of the nuances of fiction on that reading level go over your head, but you can devour nonfiction at that level.  Books abut animals are your favorite, but you'll sit for hours reading and flipping through books.  I love watching you at the library wander through the shelves, pulling several books, and then finding a spot on the floor to spend some time with your stack.  You'll also do this at night after I've kissed you goodnight.  I always smile hearing the light on your bed click on as I shut your bedroom door.

Writing...  Your writing is great.  Your spelling is not!  You enjoy writing and really get into it, adding lots of details.  I'm not quite sure what to say about your spelling.  Careless maybe?  I suppose we had better work on your proofreading skills.

Drawing... Quite often I find you at the little table in the living room with your art box and a stack of papers creating.  You love to draw and often make pictures for dad and me, usually pictures of our family.  You still want to take art classes, something I feel badly for not having done for you yet.  I can't stomach the $50-60 per class price tag in NYC.  I hope your interest continues and you always feel the desire to create.

Doing....You are a busy kid!  Right now you are doing a whole lot of swimming.  Since joining the swim team your hours at the pool have increased to 1.5 hours 3 days a week and then an additional hour on the weekend.  And even then you ask to just go to the pool to play!  You're also still in gymnastics and little league and spring soccer are about to begin.  You're also very interested in spending time with your friends, wanting to plan playdates at every opportunity.

Talking about.... Sometimes I have to look at you and make sure I am talking to a seven year old not a 13 year old!  You like to tell me how "awesome" things were or how "so funny" everything is.  You have these long stories about things that happen with your friends, complete with hand gestures and facial expressions that include head shaking and eye rolling.

Singing... You're not so much of a singer as you are a dancer.  I catch you shimmying around the living room whenever we have music on.  You love to listen to the street musicians, and the head starts  bopping any time we hear a tune.

Wearing....You're  a size 6-7, moved into the"big boy" sizing.  You're not particular abut what you wear, but you do like athletic clothing.  You also like to dress up and be told ho handsome you look.

Watching....Wild Kratts is still a favorite, but lately you're turning on Odd Squad, Ready Jet Go, and Nature Cat.  You are pretty independent with he television and remote these days, navigating through Netflix and the PBS app to on the apple TV to find just what you (or Hans!) want.  You still aren't too keen on movies, much preferring 30 minute shows.  I think the drama involved in the longer story lines of movies is a bit much for your very developed sensitive side!

Sleeping....You get in bed each night about 8.30 and it is very difficult to wake you at 7.15 for school. Some nights you stay up for 30 or so minutes reading and some nights you fall right to sleep.  You can sleep past 9 on the weekends!  Not sure what the teenage years will bring.  And he's still sleeping with Tigey.  Even takes him out to the couch to cuddle many mornings.

 Feeling.... So sensitive!  But quite confident, thankfully.  You are also pushing for more and more independence. You take care of your friends and your bother (for the most part).  You are very empathetic.

Learning....  The usual 1st grade stuff, but in swimming you're learning to do turns underwater.  In gymnastics you're learning routines with each apparatus and floor exercises.  That floor routine is challenging.

Wanting....a phone and an iPad.  And I can hardly believe Dad and I are seriously discussing your getting both of these this year.  You'll be out and about on your own heading to and from the pool in the fall so a phone makes sense.  And the iPad?  Well, you really want an eReader, but an iPad may be a better all around option.  You know you need to demonstrate responsibility and maturity to get a phone or an iPad and its obvious that you've been trying extra hard to keep organized and keep track of all of your gear and supplies.  You're a mature 7 year old!

I love you, Freddie.  I love reflecting on all these things and how your growing and changing each year.  I'm proud of you.

Opening Day

Little League 2016 if off to a rocky start.  Last week the boys were trained out.  This week, we were expecting rain, it was cloudy, and it was COLD!  Not exactly ball playing weather but we headed out to Central Park.

The boys are on the same team, The Robins.  I registered them both for the kindergarten league so we could all be together, rather than split up to opposite ends of Central Park with games scheduled at different times.  Hans was pumped to be playing with "big kids" and Freddie was pumped to "be the best."  Pretty much had to tell Freddie that he'd dominate the kindergarten boys for him to agree to play on the kindergarten league.  Hans takes pride in being the littlest at swimming and I knew he'd feel the same about baseball because he has no trouble keeping up.

 I wish I could say the game was fun, but it wasn't.  It was way too cold to be standing around outside.

Hans on third base

I tried to enjoy watching them.  It was  cute.  It is still hard for me to wrap my mind around this being my boys' childhood....little league in Central Park.

Freddie batting

We warmed up and chowed down at Shake Shack.

That made everyone happy.

Hoping for sunshine and a picnic next week!

The Odd Couple

Hans' Desk

I'm not sure how much longer they'll be able to share a room.  I must say that despite the look of his desk, Hans has his own method of organization and has a mental inventory of every single item in that pile.  Don't even dream of throwing any of it away!

Freddie's Desk

And Freddie's giving me a glimpse of what's to come.  More and more he wants to express himself by creating his own space.  Not sure if you can see it, but he does have a box under his desk where he tucks things that he wants to save but there isn't any room to display.

Seven!

Let's pretend I published this on February 26th!

When my the boy who made me a mama turned SEVEN!  How did that happen?

It was a low key day with brownie cake for breakfast, school, and hot dogs for dinner (as he requested!).  The week before he got in plenty of skiing and the day after he got tone a Junior Zoo Keeper at the Central Park Zoo.  Pretty good way to spend your birthday, I'd say.

Happy birthday, sweet boy.  So excited to share this next year with you.  So thankful to watch you grow.  You're a pretty amazing kid.

Plan B

The opening day of Little League was rained out.  We'll have to wait until next week to cheer on "The Robins" at the Great Lawn in Central Park.  

We escaped the rain, with the rest of the city it seemed, at the Natural History Museum.  Our old favorite never disappoints even if it is crushed with people.  We saw the new film, National Parks Adventure, and then came home to start planning a tip to the Grand Canyon.  It was certainly a reminder to get out there with the boys and see the world.  

The School Dance