Eight is Great

Somehow, some way, we have an eight year old in the house!  My heart and my brain have a difficult time wrapping themselves around this concept, but then I look at my Ethan, and well...

Enjoying his yogurt parfait - a birthday breakfast tradition in our house

he looks eight!  It seems that at least once or twice a week, Ben and I look at him, then look at each other and say, "when did he get so big?" or "how quickly did he grow up?!".  Cliched or not, it all happened so darn fast, and suddenly, we have a bona fide big kid in our midst.

I just reread my post from about a year ago, when Ethan turned seven.  And while there are parts of him that haven't changed a bit in the last year, seven-to-eight seems like a huge jump for our boy.  This year he:

• Lost his first four baby teeth, and the smile we'd known for seven plus years, leaving a goofy (but cute) grade school grin behind.
• Took his reading to a whole new level.  Our little bookworm now devours chapter books, particularly mysteries, and especially when he's supposed to be sleeping.
• Had his eye-hand coordination really click.  As such, Ethan made huge athletic advances this year.  He throws a mean football spiral, first swam to the dock at Keoka without a life jacket, was a scoring and defensive asset to his soccer team, learned how to play pond hockey, and tackled his first black diamond slope.
• Became a master of strategy games.  Last year at this time, we were just beginning to really enjoy family game nights (I mean, they were always "fun", but we had finally moved past the Candyland/let them win some of the time phase and into the "this is actually fun" phase).  Well, fast forward to today and Ethan is unbeatable at Quirkle.  He loves Checkers, Chinese Checkers, his new Rubik's cube...anything that requires his brain to think a few steps ahead.  Unfortunately it's not all fun and games - winning is a key factor in how much Ethan enjoys a game.  He is fiercely competitive and has some work to do in the sportsmanship department.
• Learned to play the piano.  This was a development driven entirely by Ethan, and I have been so impressed with the determination and maturity he's exhibited in his new endeavor.
• (Almost) completely stopped taking baths.  Don't worry - he does shower, but only after a lot of nagging and for a duration of less than 90 seconds.  People tell me that soon enough, I won't be able to get him out the shower.  From this standpoint, that's mighty appealing.  Maybe then I'll be able to get him out of track pants too.
• Was bitten by the video game bug.  While his access to video games is still pretty limited, he loves any chance he gets to play Minecraft on my iPad or sports games on the Wii.
• Listened to 4 2/3 of the Harry Potter series.  Ethan is starting to forgo the nightly family snuggle and read together, which absolutely breaks my heart.  He is less interested in picture books, and prefers to go straight up to his top bunk and nestle in with his mystery du jour.  The one exception is the Harry Potter series, which he still begs me to read to him.  Adam is not as interested in these books, so it's a special ritual for Ethan and me to sit together and read.  Although Ethan could easily read these books to himself now, he still prefers I read them aloud, which helps mend that breaking heart.  I don't know what I'll do when we finish the series!
• Has begun to find all of us a little "annoying" (or "boring" or "dumb" or "worst mom ever" - I hear that one a lot) and to find his friends and neighbors really enticing.  Overall, Ethan is still very much the sweet, kind kid who looks out for those who need looking out for and cherishes family time above all else.  But glimpses of tweendom are certainly creeping in.
• Become a football fanatic.  I've always thought Ethan took after his dad and Adam was more like his mom, but wow...the resemblance is so striking when I witness Ethan and Ben watching football - the lucky football-tapping, the matching Pats outfits, the pacing, the complaining over officiating, the pure unadulterated joy at victory.  Football is probably the thing about which Ethan is most passionate these days - passing the football, reading books about it, checking the sports section of the newspaper, watching games, acquiring and organizing football cards, creating championship brackets...it just doesn't end.  I knew we'd reached a new level of obsession when we were laying in bed Christmas Eve and my questions about where he thought Santa was were quickly redirected to questions about the Pats.

Ethan has always been big on his birthday, but for the past few years, he's forgone a friend party and instead wanted to do something with family.  This year, he asked to see the Paddington movie and go skiing.  So this weekend, we'll do just that with Noni and Papi and Uncle Pauly and Lori and celebrate both of our birthdays in a way that I think sounds perfect.  On his actual birthday weekend, we had a few neighborhood friends over for cupcakes, went bowling, skated, ate mac 'n cheese with Grandma and Grandpa, and watched the Pats crush the Colts in the AFC championship (probably the best present in Ethan's book).

Reading his new Boxcar Children book to the person who gave it to him

Anything Lego is a hit with this 8-year old.

Reading his first issue of Sports Illustrated for Kids with Dad

Triple chocolate cupcakes during halftime

More cupcakes and hot cocoa with friends on Monday

Getting five boys all sugared up before candlepin bowling

Three days in, eight is great.  Eight is helpful and responsible.  Eight is independent and self-directed.  Eight means you only have to issue teeth brushing reminders some of the time and you are done helping in the bathroom.  Eight means you still get kisses at the bus stop (although I fear we are nearing the end) and big smiles when you show up to volunteer at school.  Eight is really long limbs and a body that won't fit neatly on your lap, but a boy who still wants to sit there.  Eight is forgoing the manuals and building elaborate, amazing Lego creations and then proudly explaining them to Mom and Dad.  Eight is trickier questions and more interesting conversations, challenging game opponents, and beginning to understand that the world is bigger than us.  I think I like eight.  Nine...ten...you can stay where you are...eight is great.

Happy 8 to my big beautiful boy Ethan.  I love you to the moon and beyond, and beyond, and beyond, and beyond, and back, and again and again.  I will always love you more.

Ethan, Age 8
Weight: 61 lbs (56 lbs)
Height: 52.5 inches (50.5 inches)
1. What is your favorite color? Red (Red)
2. What is your favorite toy? Legos, paper plane building set (Cement mixer, Legos, rocket ship-building kit)
3. What is your favorite fruit?  Mango (Tomatoes)
4. What is your favorite TV show? Odd Squad (Paw Patrol and Wild Kratts...we've gone from Curious George to Paw Patrol/Wild Kratts to Odd Squad in the span of two years...my how we've grown!)
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Bagel and cream cheese (Peanut butter and jelly)
6. What is your favorite outfit? Pats gear (Robot shirt and "you know Mom - those pants" [black track pants with red stripe down the side])
7. What is your favorite game? Qwirkle (Rummikub)
8. What is your favorite snack? Muesli with kefir (Squeezy yogurt)
9. What is your favorite animal? Elephant (Elephant)
10. What is your favorite song? Dynamite (BINGO) 
11. What is your favorite book? A to Z Mysteries, Boxcar Children (Ride Fly Guy Ride)
12. Who is your best friend? Josh (Owen and Josh)
13. What is your favorite cereal? Muesli with kefir (Shredded Spoonfuls)
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Sled, play in the treehouse (Ski)
15. What is your favorite drink? Hot cocoa (Orange juice)
16. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas (Christmas, my birthday, and Easter..."when I get things")
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Wize (a Beanie Baby puppy)  (Nothing)
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Pancakes (An English muffin with peanut butter and marmalade)
19. What would you like to have for a special birthday dinner? Mac 'n cheese (Tacos, mac 'n cheese, or Thai food)
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Construction worker (A construction worker - five years and counting for the construction worker dream)