last day of seven

133, a photo by kristin~mainemomma on Flickr.

birthdays have been sneaking up on me this year! i am not kidding. they are all quiet and sneaky and then suddenly BAM! here they are and i am all "what?!!! and huh???" it has me really feeling off balance.

tomorrow my boy turns E I G H T. (what the?)
each year bigger and further away from that baby i once swaddled. (he loved the swaddle) today i want to remember 7. 7 was a bit of a mixed bag for my boy. a year of a lot of transition and growth which are both hard for him. he likes routine and constancy, so anything that shakes him out of that never comes without some bumps and bruises. this past winter he fell quite ill, lost some weight, could not shake the germs. he would almost recover and then come down with something else... at that same time his daddy found a new job and headed back to work after a long time at home with us all. kellen LOVED having his daddy home with him every day. he came to count on that more than even we realized. so the transition was hard and sad for him. he just loves what he loves, and he loves deeply. that being said, and that difficult time behind him now, seven was beautiful. he is beautiful.

seven was a whole summer spent on the beach almost every day. seven was the year you body surfed and were HOOKED! you and your daddy out in that frozen water catching waves. you even ventured out on a night swim (oh my heart!) you have grown in school this year with the help of your wonderful teacher. we were blessed to have her nurturing and kindness this year when you needed it most. (thank you mrs elsemiller) you are still the best big brother! you and casey are real buds this year going to school together, playing together, just being best friends. this was the year of legos for you. star wars legos.. now batman legos. you just love them. and you are awesome at making those big kits all on your own! you still love art and drawing and we love all you create. and you still love dressing "fancy" for school, with ties and "fancy pants". you look so handsome.
some of your favorite things were:

• little caesar's and otto's pizza
• coconut cream pie
• legos
• drawing
• army men
• building "dams" in front of the house
• purple (still love your purple) 
• temporary tattoos.  the more the better!  ;)

you had one last milestone packed into seven.... a bit of an unexpected one i think.  on mothers day you rode your bike on 2 wheels with ease! like you have been riding on 2 wheels forever. the day before we took you on on the trail (photo above) and you did good, but were still having some trouble, but your confidence grew that day. the very next day you mastered it just like that! it was your time. you were ready. and you did it. you were SO proud and excited and all of us were right there with you feeling all those same emotions for you watching how happy you were. it was the best gift! and now a whole new sense of freedom has opened for you.

seven was grand. every day with you watching you grow and explore and navigate this world is a gift.
happy last day of 7 my sweet boy.
tomorrow you wake 8 years old.  wish big!!!  
xo
love,
momma


kellen rides! from kristin zecchinelli on Vimeo.