Seven Years and One Week

R's birthday was a week ago today (I know, I'm a bit slow here!). He's getting so big! The above picture just cracks me up -- a tie dye shirt with a gun?? The funny thing is that this picture represents him so exactly -- he loves guns, any kind of guns . But he hates the idea of hurting people and he wears his heart on his sleeve.

Last year, R took up reading by storm. He reads everything possible -- signs, lables, blog comments, and of course, books. (Sometimes he watches over my shoulder while I read blogs and check the comments on my blog. I had to hide his birthday-list blog so that he couldn't read the CaliforniaGrammy comment about his present.) He used to be really proud of this ability to read, visibly proud. I'm sure he's still proud, but he's much more non-chalant about the whole thing. It's like, of course he can read.

He is sooo looking forward to hockey this year. I can't belive it's his third season! Amazing!

He looks up to his dad so much and wants to be just like him. Besides being just like dad, he also wants to be a pilot, a police officer, and a soldier. Such ambition!

He's like a fish in the water and just recently earned a dollar for swimming from one dock to the other at the yacht club (about the length of a swimming pool). He gave up a couple of times, but after his little brother made it, he quickly jumped back in to try again -- and made it.

R is very dramatic. I little injury means that he's dyyyyinnnngg. Can you tell that he isn't too happy with the rain on this boat trip?

Along the same vein as his drama is his ENTHUSIASM. When he is excited. He. Just. Can't. Contain. Himself. He jumps up and down quickly and kind of shakes his hands in front of himself, all the while having a gigantic grin on his face.

I just love this boy (even if it did take over 70 hours of labor to get him into this world!)