Luke, our oldest, turned NINE in September!!
The Stats
Weight: 56 lbs. (22nd Percentile)
Height: 51.75 in. (34th Percentile)
Luke loves to read. He began reading the Harry Potter series in April and was done with all 7 books by July (and school was still in session through June 10). He has continued to read at warp speed.
He is very organized. His bed is always made and his room is clean (unless his brothers have been in there!).
He loves school.
He enjoyed soccer and basketball this year.
He is in piano lessons and has started practicing on his own (without pushing from me) because he is now really enjoying it. I love to see him sit down to play because he wants to!
He likes to sing in his room as he is getting ready for bed at night. I don't think he knows he is being overheard, but I love to listen to him. He is usually singing a church song or one of the songs he has learned on the piano. It makes me happy to hear him.
Here are some of his favorite things: Food=Pizza, TV show=Odd Squad, Sport=Basketball, Hobby=Reading, Books=Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, Color=Red, Dessert=Caramel brownies, Movie=Inside Out, Place to Go=Utah!
I loved my time with Luke this summer. This previous school year (2nd grade) was a hard year. There was a change in him that happened nearly overnight. It started about 3 weeks into the school year. Gone was the easy-going, patient, and kind child we all love and adore. He became easily annoyed, was great at back-talk, was fighting more with his brothers and getting physical with them (something he didn't normally do). He was no longer the peacemaker. He stopped smiling and laughing. He was so unhappy. My heart ached for him and I worried about him all the time. I didn't know how to help him and prayed for him often.
Then, a month into summer, he was back! I noticed his smile first. This kid has a smile that can light up a whole room. And when he smiles his eyes sparkle. I love that sparkle. His kindness returned, he was letting things roll off his back, he became content and happy again. The transformation did wonders for my mama heart.
The only thing I have been able to relate this to is his 2nd grade teacher. If you ask him, he will tell you he liked her fine, but maybe there were things he didn't like about her that were too subtle for him to discern. I didn't care for her after the first parent teacher conference. I left her classroom completely agitated. And it was difficult, even for me, to pinpoint why...at least in those first moments. As I drove home that night, it became clear to me she didn't understand Luke. When I got home and vented to David that night, I realized my biggest problem with this teacher was not that she didn't "get" Luke, but that she wanted to change him. The very essence of who he is, she wanted to change. I was not okay with that. This boy does not need to be changed.
Well, as the year progressed, the homework load increased greatly (far more than a 2nd grader should have) and I know that was part of Luke's problem. Luke is a child that needs some down time to recharge his battery (his parents need this too, so it was easy recognize the need in him). If he is going, going, going, with no time for himself, he will implode. When the homework increased I let his teacher know how unhappy Luke had been since starting school and that her homework load was not helping matters. She decreased the load a bit and said she would keep a closer eye on him to she if she could figure out the problem. I doubt she ever thought part of the problem could be her. There were times I doubted it too. I even thought it was possible he was going through puberty earlier than expected (heaven help me!). I was also fearful that it was school, in general, that could be a problem. So far this year, that is an unfounded fear. He is currently enjoying school (he has a great teacher) and has been his happy self, and I am so grateful to see his bright, infectious smile every day.
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Luke's birthday started with gift opening before school.
He is in piano lessons and has started practicing on his own (without pushing from me) because he is now really enjoying it. I love to see him sit down to play because he wants to!
He likes to sing in his room as he is getting ready for bed at night. I don't think he knows he is being overheard, but I love to listen to him. He is usually singing a church song or one of the songs he has learned on the piano. It makes me happy to hear him.
Here are some of his favorite things: Food=Pizza, TV show=Odd Squad, Sport=Basketball, Hobby=Reading, Books=Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, Color=Red, Dessert=Caramel brownies, Movie=Inside Out, Place to Go=Utah!
I loved my time with Luke this summer. This previous school year (2nd grade) was a hard year. There was a change in him that happened nearly overnight. It started about 3 weeks into the school year. Gone was the easy-going, patient, and kind child we all love and adore. He became easily annoyed, was great at back-talk, was fighting more with his brothers and getting physical with them (something he didn't normally do). He was no longer the peacemaker. He stopped smiling and laughing. He was so unhappy. My heart ached for him and I worried about him all the time. I didn't know how to help him and prayed for him often.
Then, a month into summer, he was back! I noticed his smile first. This kid has a smile that can light up a whole room. And when he smiles his eyes sparkle. I love that sparkle. His kindness returned, he was letting things roll off his back, he became content and happy again. The transformation did wonders for my mama heart.
The only thing I have been able to relate this to is his 2nd grade teacher. If you ask him, he will tell you he liked her fine, but maybe there were things he didn't like about her that were too subtle for him to discern. I didn't care for her after the first parent teacher conference. I left her classroom completely agitated. And it was difficult, even for me, to pinpoint why...at least in those first moments. As I drove home that night, it became clear to me she didn't understand Luke. When I got home and vented to David that night, I realized my biggest problem with this teacher was not that she didn't "get" Luke, but that she wanted to change him. The very essence of who he is, she wanted to change. I was not okay with that. This boy does not need to be changed.
Well, as the year progressed, the homework load increased greatly (far more than a 2nd grader should have) and I know that was part of Luke's problem. Luke is a child that needs some down time to recharge his battery (his parents need this too, so it was easy recognize the need in him). If he is going, going, going, with no time for himself, he will implode. When the homework increased I let his teacher know how unhappy Luke had been since starting school and that her homework load was not helping matters. She decreased the load a bit and said she would keep a closer eye on him to she if she could figure out the problem. I doubt she ever thought part of the problem could be her. There were times I doubted it too. I even thought it was possible he was going through puberty earlier than expected (heaven help me!). I was also fearful that it was school, in general, that could be a problem. So far this year, that is an unfounded fear. He is currently enjoying school (he has a great teacher) and has been his happy self, and I am so grateful to see his bright, infectious smile every day.
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Luke's birthday started with gift opening before school.
As soon as he got home from school we drove to Green Bay (more on that later) for Labor Day weekend and celebrated his birthday at our hotel.
It is so interesting that Luke struggled last year. I am sure most of it was his teacher and the stress of school. I have noticed however, now that I am on my third child entering this age, that from 7ish until the end of their 8th year they are tough! I have definitely come to the conclusion so far, that this is my least favorite age! They get so much attitude, far more disobedient and tease 10 times more. Cooper is just starting this and I am not a fan, but at least I have the hope he will outgrow it! I love all your blogs. Keep 'em coming!!!
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