Parker Turns Seven!

Parker at 7 Years Old

Height: 48.0 in (38.8%)

Weight: 49.6 lb (39.6%)

It's hard to believe, but my baby is now seven years old and he continues to grow into an amazing young man. Parker is caring, silly, inquisitive, fun-loving, empathetic, and energetic. And here are a few notables about Parker right now. He...

• still loves riding his bike and would still prefer to be off road than on the sidewalk or street. 
• is a pretty fast runner. Just ask him. He'll tell ya. 😉
• has really taken a liking to sports. For a while he's enjoyed watching sports with David, but now when we go to the playground all he wants to do is shoot baskets, play soccer, or do something else with a ball. And now that he's actually participating in these sports we've noticed that he has pretty good hand-eye coordination. Go figure.
• didn't start talking especially early in life, but he seems to be making up for lost time. What this really means is that he is constantly talking...or singing, or just making noises. I love talking with him and hearing his perspective on things these days - the random noises I could usually do without.
• has become a truly confident reader. He's actually been a great reader for quite a while now, but it wasn't until sometime during the course of first grade that he realized it...and then it really took off.
• is still showing signs of being an engineer someday. He loves to build things, take them apart, and figure out their inner workings.
• is still very social and loves to say hello to people he knows...even if that means yelling across the street.
• continues to have lots of energy and some difficulties staying focused and in control of his body. It doesn't usually take much of a reminder for him to gain focus and control again, but the older he gets the more this stands out.
• loves his brothers, but can be rather bossy. He definitely thinks that being the oldest means he's in charge. Conway and Monroe don't usually agree with that assessment.
• is very empathetic. Seeing someone get sad or hurt, even in a movie, can still bring him to tears. 
• is surprisingly good at sharing. This is not to say that he has never taken a ball or toy from someone, but if Parker gets a treat when he is without his brothers he will usually save some of it to share with them later. 
• currently seems to have very little concern for keeping things organized. I realize this probably isn't so different from most boys his age, but it is interesting given his need for organization and straight lines when he was little.
• switches back and forth pretty frequently between being open to eating anything and being fairly picky. Favorite foods: mint chocolate chip ice cream, cookies, macaroni and cheese, hotdogs, and carrots. Least favorite foods: broccoli, jelly and jam.
• has not yet embraced the concept of using manners at the dinner table. I swear he sometimes looks the way I would imagine someone in jail looks when they're eating, as if they have to shovel it in as fast as they can for fear that their food is going to be taken from them at any moment. As hard as I try, I still seem to be raising a frat boy instead of a well mannered young man. Maybe next year...

Happy Birthday Parker!!