I know I always exclaim about how fast time flies in these birthday posts, but it blows my mind that almost nine years ago we found out we were expecting our first child, and in another nine, we will probably be touring college campuses with Avery. Wow. Sniff, sniff.

At eight years old, Avery is an awesome little kid. He loves Legos, Star Wars (Clone Wars), playing Wii, basketball, and riding his bike and scooter. He also enjoys reading books and writing and illustrating stories (mostly related to Star Wars). He loves his little brothers, and he and Kieron are especially close these days. It’s hard to believe it, but Avery is pretty quiet and reserved at school. At home, he enjoys his role as leader of the pack and chatterbox. He loves nature, can be quite dramatic, and often plays the role of peacemaker when his little brothers have disagreements.

At his checkup, Avery was 60 lbs and 4′ 4″ tall. The doctor chuckled and said she admired his honesty when she asked if he liked coming to the doctor and he told her no.

Happy birthday Avery. We love you!

Last night as a seven-year-old selfie. He liked hearing the story of where he was at that time eight years prior, and all the drama that was going on.

≈ 

Awwwww!

Surprise in the garage!
  

We are now the parents of a seven year old. Wow, when did that happen? Are we even old enough for that?

At seven, Avery is such a good kid. His favorite subjects in school are science, computer lab, and recess. He loves playing Legos, exploring the woods behind our house, riding his bike (he’s moved onto a bigger model with gears), and “saving” worms/building little boats for them. I always find bark and other little treasures in his pockets. Avery loves nature, mac ‘n cheese, and his little brothers. He’s discovered video games (ugh), and would play Minecraft or Sticky Ninja all day if I let him. His favorite book is The Indian in the Cupboard, and he now frequently speaks in broken English and asks to be called Little Bear. Imaginative child that he is, he even once fashioned a loincloth for himself and pretended to hunt with a bow and arrow. Avery is also very logical, and right now he is the king of delayed gratification. I really hope this sticks. He will work to earn things he wants, and he will take a bribe. I always think it’s fun to speculate about the future careers of my children based on their personality traits and current interests. Right now, I’d say Avery may become a scientist, engineer, environmental preservationist, or politician!

Avery’s seventh birthday party was a royal affair. He’s been very into knights lately, so the theme was an easy choice, plus, he loved the fact that he could be king! We didn’t get a dragon to show up, but The Reptile Man came with all of his cute, cuddly friends. I can’t say enough about this guy – he was awesome, and had a calm, mellow demeanor perfect for a party with fifteen first grade boys.

The kids kept busy coloring while everyone arrived

Time for the show! Here’s the monitor lizard.

Crocodile

This cute croc peed on our floor!

Aubrey & Hamza

Wiktor & Brooklyn

Tortoise

Cobra

Boa

James and boa

Aubrey riding the tortoise

“Maybe no on will notice me filling up on popcorn during the show!”

The grande finale was this pretty python

This rope snake was Avery’s favorite.

“This python makes a great boa!”

Avery said he wished the tortoise was a little faster

Tortoises are attracted to the color red. This one headed for the stripes on the kitchen mat.

Auntie Ash

Jason & Jono

Present time!

Some down time with Nana.

Avery’s birthday fell on a Tuesday this year, so Jonathan took the afternoon off work to celebrate. We opened presents, ate cupcakes, and spent lots of time just hanging out together and breaking in Avery’s gifts.

That Saturday we threw a birthday party at our local bounce house. About a dozen of Avery’s friends came to celebrate with him. They had a blast wearing themselves out!

Avery is a sweet, sensitive kid with a vivid imagination, even for a four-year-old. He loves playing dress-up, and his favorite roles are: Superman, pirate captain, knight/dragon trainer, and chef. He has a reputation at preschool and Little Gym as a ladies man. I have to admit, this isn’t much of a surprise, as he’s not the rough-and-tumble, guy’s guy type, but is laid back, mild mannered, and (mostly) gentle. He adores his little brother, but also enjoys testing his limits with him. One moment he’ll give Kieron a hug, and the next he’ll pull him over. Avery is all about being a grown-up, and takes offense if we refer to him as anything but. He asks to be measured every day so he can see if he’s grown, and at meals he talks about how his muscles are growing. This works to our advantage, as we frequently find ourselves saying “grown-ups do…..” or “…has protein in it and will help you grow.” He’s very verbal, and often says things that melt our hearts like “I love you so much” or “you’re the best.”

Happy birthday Avery! We love you so much and you’re the best!

The birthday boy

I’m four!



Cupcakes!





Brotherly love.














Our attempt at a group photo





Aaarrgghhhhh matey!

He actually went to sleep with the hook on!