He often gets angry and frustrated at the smallest infraction and will lash out at whoever is near-by or storm off and "give up" what he was trying. We're working on patience and managing disappointment.
He wanted chicken enchiladas for his birthday and for his baptismal anniversary. He knows what he likes! We also had chocolate sheet cake twice for various birthday celebrations. At last he has found a cake he likes besides the chocolate peanut butter concoction we just can't make on a regular basis.
Favorite foods - chicken enchiladas, angel food cake, Dad's peanut butter chocolate cake, Doritos, Sweetropes (apparently this is a kind of candy)
He wanted to watch the Harry Potter movies and we said he could after he had read the books. I figured he'd start, get bogged down, and set it aside for a few years. But he persevered! Previously, he'd pretty much read Calvin and Hobbes and other comic type books, and now Harry Potter. He finished the last book a bit after his birthday but it's taking us a while to get through the movies. We still have three to go.
Favorite books - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Big Nate books
Favorite movies - The Force Awakens, anything in the Marvel universe, The Return of the Jedi (This is obviously a seven-year-old with older siblings; First Son would never have seen these movies at this age!)
Recently he said to me, "Mom, I know you don't want to hear this, but I kind of want to see the Captain Underpants movie."
At his birthday party, he invited a 10 year old, a 9 year old, an 8 year old, and a 6 year old. I just love the wide variety of kids with whom he is friendly and comfortable. He wanted a video game party like his big brother so they took turns with three controllers on the Wii U and two Kindles playing Minecraft with each other. The boys did very well sharing and playing together.
He's been taking a break from taekwondo for a while, but we promised he could play soccer for the first time. He's on an 8U team. When First Son played U8, I thought those kids were so big and grown-up. Now I'm looking at kids about the same age but they seem incredibly small to me!
Between July of last year (when he had just turned six) and July of this year, he grew four inches, according to his doctor's chart. I'm sure he's putting on some weight, too, but it's hard to tell because he's still very skinny.
Second Son is tall for his age, I think, though it's hard to tell because he's in a class of pretty tall kids at church. We have trouble getting pants skinny enough for his waist and long enough for his legs. Summers are so nice because the shorts don't matter so much but now we're approaching fall...
He lost his top two teeth just before his second birthday and we've been waiting anxiously every since for them to come in. His dentist told us they usually show up around age seven for boys and about two weeks after his birthday, the first one started peeking through. The second one is showing now. Kansas Dad is planning a big party with caramel apples in celebration when they're both fully in.
Favorite songs - Not the Future, Try Everything, Immortals, Roar
He often likes to listen to the instrumental soundtracks of movies. He can match a shocking number of the songs with events in the movie.
He got glasses last May, the youngest of the kids to need glasses and the strongest prescription. He's supposed to take them off when he reads which means he almost never knows where they are. We had to do some major searching before our trip to the Badlands so he could see the eclipse and...you know...the badlands.
Favorite games - Munchkin, King of Tokyo, Star Wars Monopoly
Second Son is in first grade this year.
Favorite lessons - journal, Khan Academy, maps, xtramath
He loves screen time, so of course his favorite lessons are mostly online. He's only supposed to spend ten minutes on Khan Academy, enough time for one practice session, but I often find him sneaking more.
He hates family pictures. We usually have to threaten him to get him to stand still and sort of smile for one.
He loves to jump on his trampoline and does so every single day, usually launching himself by running across the room and bouncing off in the opposite direction. We did have to explain over the summer that he should not try to jump on the trampoline while wearing his roller skates.
He loves bouldering. It's not unusual for him to complain regularly while we're hiking (especially if it's not a loop trail) but he can climb and slide over rocks for hours on end.
He adores our dog, who endures much at his hands but also receives much love. Plus Second Son feeds him...when he remembers. He also loves the outdoor cats that belong to our neighbors. They wander quite a bit and often end up in our yard.
Second Son is not a fan of church and church activities. Mass is at the top of the list of things he dislikes, followed by Adoration and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. He's fine once we arrive at church; it's just the complaining as we're going out the door. Whenever I complain about his attitude, other moms assure me he's going to be a priest when he grows up. I hope so; then he can help to pray away all the purgatory time I'm racking up trying to raise him!
God bless you, Second Son!
