Rowan's 7th Birthday Week: Birthday Letter

Dear Rowan,

Let me just start by saying I adore you. You're my middlest boy and you are amazingly unique and your own little person. You have grown up so much over the past year. This year you've been through some struggles, but you've worked hard and kept pushing through it all. First grade hasn't been a walk in the park, but I'm in awe at how far you've come. You're teachers love you and you're kind to your friends and fellow classmates.

Rowan, you feel deeply. You love strongly. You worry about all the things all of the time. You can be a ball of emotion and I love you for it. I blame this on naming you after my father. He was worried about all the things, all the time too, and was also a big ball of emotion. He was like that because he loved everyone and wanted to make sure everyone would be ok, would be safe, would be loved, would be happy. I think that's what you're worried about to. You just want everyone to be safe and everyone to be happy. I see my dad in you all the time. He would love you. He does love you.

Today you woke up early so you could open your presents before school. You have had no requests for presents this year which meant you ended up with a plethora of random things. You got a stuffed Olaf, which you baby brother promptly declared his Olaf, new shoes, a big Lego Ninjago Lego set, a collapsible baseball water bottle, Simba slippers, a book, Sour Patch kids, a new set of rubber bands to make bracelets with, and a frozen puzzle.  You were over joyed by all these random things. Off you went to school while Thatcher and I gathered all the rest of the things we needed for your celebration this evening and this weekend. Thatcher and I joined you for lunch at school and brought cookies for your class to enjoy at snack time.

When you got home from school you proclaimed it had been a great day. You made a one hundred percent on your spelling test and were so proud to show me when you got home. You had fun with your friends and everyone enjoyed their snack. Your little neighbor buddy came over to play and you went outside to record videos on Zane's camera. You don't know it yet but your neighbor friend I think is moving soon. That's going to be hard, he's been a great friend. It's Friday today so we have a full weekend ahead for celebrating. Sadly I am sick today, with no energy and I have barely been able to keep my eyes open this evening, but I've loved celebrating you today.

This next year I hope you continue to be brave. I pray that you keep trying new things, facing your fears, and continue to have unending confidence in yourself. Don't let anyone ever change your opinion of yourself. Never stop crawling up into my lap to give me hugs. I pray that you continue to love your little brother deeply and maybe try to be a little more patient with your older brother. He loves you too, even if he struggles to show it sometimes. I also pray that maybe this year you can not break your arm. Maybe stay off the monkey bars. Happy birthday sweet seven year old boy. I love you so much and am so very proud of you!

Love,
Mom

Rowan's 7th Birthday Week: Birthday Interview

Rowan's 7th Birthday Week:  7yr Old Interview

1.How old will you be on your birthday? Seven

2.Who is your best friend? Waylen

3.What is your favorite thing to do? Ride a bike

4.What is your favorite color? Red

5.What is your favorite food? Hot dogs

6. What do you like to do with your family? Hug*

7.What is your favorite toy? Legos

8.What do you want to be when you grow up? An Engineer

9. What makes you happy? Hugs*

10.What makes you sad? People being mean to me

11.What is your favorite movie? The Greatest Showman

12.What is your favorite book? The Boxcar Children

13.Where is your favorite place to go? The zoo

14.What do you like to do outside? Run

15.What is your favorite animal? Elephant

16.Who is your favorite person? Mamma*

17.What was your favorite present? The baseball water bottle

18.What do you like to cuddle when you sleep? Nothing

19.Who is favorite Super Hero? Elsa

20.What is your favorite song? Show Yourself

Answers with *beside them are the one with the same answers as last year.

Not very many repeats from last year. Also he put zero thought into these answers.

Rowan's Seventh Birthday Week: These are a few of your favorite things

1. Building things: Rowan is proving to be very much like his father in this regard. This year he's really started to enjoy doing his month Kiwi Kits that Grandma has sent to him. He can figure out how to put most of the things together himself and recently requested more difficult kits. Grandma sent him four of these recently. He has needed quite a bit of help with these from Zach, but he's listened and I think is really enjoying learning about electronics, wiring things, and generally building something functional from nothing. He's very focused and does great with little fine motor tasks, which is a big difference between him and his older brother.

2. Legos: Rowan has always loved Legos and this year I'd say that love has grown. Here is the thing about Rowan and Legos at this stage, Rowan powers through steps, even if has messed something up. He just keeps making it work, until he gets almost finished, he can't make it work anymore, and finally says something. This frequently results in Zach or having to deconstruct the whole thing and start over. I usually try to let him do his thing, but sometimes it just cannot work. He's endlessly confident, right until he's not and then he just falls apart and is sure his inability to do a Lego without help will result in us not loving him anymore. He loved building big, huge Legos, most of which I cannot rationalize buying, but he did get a big fire station lego for Christmas which he loved and was very proud of himself for completing it in just two days.

3. Video Games: This is a more recent thing honestly. The boys got Mindcraft for Christmas and not surprisingly, my little builder boy, has really enjoying putting together building and video games. Zane and Rowan still struggle playing video games together without it ending in fights. The boys still don't play video games too frequently, but this is definitely a growing interest in Rowan's little life.

4. Baseball: Rowan is a phenomenal little baseball player and I'm only mostly sure he loves playing it. He moved up to coach pitch in the fall and had to miss a few games with a broken arm, but he came back strong and had a great season. Spring ball starts soon so hopefully his passion for baseball comes back around soon. Rowan still has a deep, strong love for all things Cardinal baseball so there is that!

5. Thatcher: Thatcher is Rowan's favorite. Rowan frequently will just randomly say, " I love Thatcher." They play so well together. Rowan is so patient with Thatcher 99.9% of the time. The feeling is fully mutual as well. Thatcher adores both of his brothers, but I think sometimes Zane can be a little terrifying. I have found that the four year age gap is perfect for these two, at this exact moment. I'm not sure how it will play out as they get older, but I'm loving their relationship right now.

6. Math: When asked what his favorite part of school is Rowan will always say math. He's a good little reader, but it's not his favorite thing. Zane's answer was/is always art. Rowan's answer is math or stem class. Rowan isn't crazy good at math, he does well, but enjoys that act of learning and practicing math quite a bit which I think is wonderful. 

7. Being outside: My children all do so much better when they can spend sometimes outdoors each day. They need some time to run around and decompress. This makes the cold winter months challenging at times, but I've found even being able to go play in the garage can work in a pinch. Rowan loves riding his scooter and in the past few weeks has gotten back into riding his bike. I've found that a solid thirty minutes or an hour outside each night makes for a better evening. As they get older the big boys really want some outdoor time when I'm not there. I don't know what that means and it kind of makes me sad. I've noticed they don't beg for me to come out with them nearly as much and they tend to get along better when I'm not there, maybe the option of telling on each other is taken out of the equation, I'm not sure. I'm happy springtime is just around the corner so they will have plenty of time to run around outside to their little heart's content.

Those are the highlights that I can think of off the top of my head. This year playing with Zane has become more difficult and I'm not sure who is really at fault for this, but sadly it usually ends in fights and/or arguments. Both of them seem to think they should disagree with what the other one says just because they are brothers and the other person said it. It's beyond frustrating as a parent. The moments when are playing quietly and nicely often also end in them doing things they know they aren't suppose to be doing. Have a mentioned I'm struggling with this next phase of parenting? Because I am. 

Rowan still will humor me with cuddles on the couch and reads to me daily, even though he's quite sure he can read any and every book on his own, no problem. The one tiny problem being he doesn't ever admit to not knowing some words and there are plenty of words we're still working on. I also love hearing him read and am amazed at all the improvement we've seen this year in his reading skills. Rowan of course still loves watching TV and movies, but that goes without saying. 

I was looking back at previous years "favorite things" post and sadly Rowan no longer loves fashion or being fancy. He's officially your run of the mill boy who I have to argue with about not wearing pants with huge holes in them to school. He barely own any fancy shirts and that doesn't seem to bother him. I miss my tiny, little fancy, man, but such is life. 

Rowan's Seventh Birthday Week: A Year In Pictures

February 2019

 First lost tooth! He's lost four or five more over this year.

March 2019

 

 Moved up to a Tiger Cub last March and has been enjoying all things Scouting this past year.

April 2019

Rowan's first baseball to the eye.

 These two love each other dearly.

 Rowan had a great baseball season. He still loves playing and is a great little ball player.

 Sad Rowan, on the day of Zane's First Communion, when we may or may not have lost him at church, ever so briefly.

May 2019

Still can't believe that my son's a Cubbie. 

 This one isn't silly very often these days, but he still has a silly streak in him from time to time.

 Kindergarten field trip to the Zoo.

 Rowan is a huge Cardinals fan and we had lots of fun at a rainy baseball game in Texas watching the Cardinals play the Rangers this year.

 Last day of Kindergarten. Rowan did amazingly well during Kindergarten. First grade has been tougher, but he's getting there.

 I wish I could say these two get along as well as this picture shows. They generally fight tooth and nail and it's exhausting. Occasionally they still can figure out how to get along.

June 2019

Rowan is not so secretly Thatcher's favorite.

 First year at sleep away Cub Scout camp was a huge success.

July 2019

 No one rocks a tan quite like Rowan.

August 2019

Ready to go see Hamilton

 In the ER with broken arm number two!

 Rowan started First Grade with his arm in a splint/sling. First grade has been a hard adjustment this year, but I think he's going to finish strong.

 Cast number three of his short little life.

September 2019

Luckily the red cast only had to stay on for a four weeks.

 Open house at school.

 Pie baking

October 2019

Post Season!!!!!

 Lasts baseball game of the fall.

 Freezing to death on the first grade fall field trip is a day I won't soon forget. It was miserable, but so glad I got to be there and spend the afternoon with my sweet boy.

 Six year old Halloween as an Astronaut is classic!

November 2019

Rowan's turkey disguised as Fred Bird is also a top memory for me this year. Look at his bony little body.

December 2019

January 2020

 So loved!!!

 Pinewood Derby 2020

 Upon reflection there have been a lot of lost tooth photos this year.

 Lunch with Rowan at school is one of my favorite things and sadly I've been terrible about doing it this year. Friday he'll get birthday lunch and I'll try to slip a few more time end before the end of the year.

February 2020

After passing his YMCA swim test for the second time this afternoon. So proud of him.

 Valentine's Day party 2020

 Rowan has been working very hard on getting his math buttons this year. He diligently requests that Zach or I make him a math quiz to practice on every night. He gets extremely anxious about it being timed, which I think throws him off more than anything. But he has stuck with it, work hard, and finally got his first two buttons a few weeks ago. I'm so proud of how hard he's worked this year at school.

 Snow day 2020