Nicholas Will Be How Old?

Nicholas’ birthday is about a month away.  I was pretty sure he is only turning 7, but I think he thinks that he should be more like 13.  We’re having trouble lately trying to figure out what being 7 means – in both of our eyes.

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Nicholas is becoming more independent.  I keep telling him that if he can be trusted with the little things then he will be given even more responsibility.  We've been letting out the line and as long as he meets his end of the bargain he has more freedoms.  He especially has been working on this at church.  We get there early because Evan often ushers (and we can’t help but be early), so we let Nicholas walk around the church.  He knows which behaviors are acceptable and which are not.  He also has a set time that he has to be in his seat.  After a hiccup or two, he seems to be doing pretty well.

He still can be a pretty super-sweet big brother most of the time too.  The other day he read several books to Daniel while we were waiting for Evan to come home.  Not only did it free me up, but Daniel was really listening and enjoying it.

Nicholas is still doing really well with school.  We've missed a few activities here and there because of the weather, which disappointed him.  But, he is looking forward to celebrating Valentine’s Day at C.C. on Monday.  This week he and Daniel worked on bags to put their Valentine cards into.  They also will get a prize if they wear red, white, or pink. 

Nicholas is definitely a deep thinker and still likes to engage in thought-provoking conversations in the car.  He is sensitive though and feels things deeply.  I can see him standing for injustice one day.  He knows what is right and wrong and feels passionate when he tries to understand why people do what they do.  I think I’ll be teaching him about mercy and grace along the way though.

The days definitely are going by fast.  My goal is to train my sons to be men.  That is definitely a hard and sometimes overwhelming task.  So, watching Nicholas wanting to be more independent is a natural and positive progression.  Seven isn't 13, but that day will be here sooner than I think.