7 Years Old

I'm not sure how it's possible, but that kid turned 7 years old! Seven! He's got 3 teeth missing, and two that are wiggly. CLEARLY he's a big kid. 

This past year Nolan started and completed kindergarten (though the completion part is a technicality thanks to COVID-19). He had an AMAZING kindergarten teacher! All year long I was so thankful he got to be in her class. She adored Nolan, and he really thrived in her class. He learned to read, and he's pretty good at it. He unfortunately had me as his teacher for the final quarter of school, but we made it through. 

Nolan's big brother skills expanded when Elliana came into the world. And honestly, he's just a really, really good brother to her. He's really good at entertaining her when I need him to, and he dotes on her like she's the cutest thing in the world (she is!!). One time we were at a park, and I laid Elliana on a blanket while I started throwing the football to the boys. Elliana couldn't crawl yet, so she was just on the blanket. A little boy was kind of close to her, and Nolan said with a protective tone to his voice, "Watch out for my sister!" When the little boy was out of ear shot, I told Nolan that I really appreciated his proactive efforts to protect his baby sister. 

Nolan is still very interested in nature and animals. He loves looking at books about animals and watching documentaries. He has spent several hours during quarantine looking for lizards in our backyard. He is very much still fascinated by animals. He really is like a sponge, soaking up all the facts and knowledge he can. 

This past year, Nolan developed a love for fishing. He really, really enjoys all things fishing. He likes talking about the bait he needs to use. He likes telling the same fishing stories over and over. He likes catching worms in the backyard to use as live bait. He has no problems being patient when it comes to this one area of life. He does, however, like to demand silence. It drives him CRAZY when Isaac or his cousins are loud while he's trying to fish. This is something Adam certainly hopes they can do together as the years go by. 

Nolan is seven years old and starting first grade at our local elementary school next week. It doesn't seem possible that this kid is old enough to ride a bus. It feels like this is a big transition year for us as a family, and in so many ways, I don't feel ready. I'm sometimes thankful this pandemic hit when it did because I got to keep my kids home when they were little. Yes, there were PLENTY of times I had to resist the urge to run away, but there were also PLENTY of times that I was very aware that I was given the gift of time. I don't feel cut out to be this kid's teacher at all, so though sending him off to school makes me nervous, I do deep down hope that he's able to keep going to school this fall. Most days I doubt my ability to be a good enough mom for him, but I'm glad we had extra time before he starts what I keep calling "real school." 

Alright, Nolan. 7 years old. Let's do this!