Eight!

Nathaniel,

I know you’re “only” 8 years old, but most of the time you seem years older than that. Just today on the way to school you were telling Nicholas, “If you’re going to start reading Harry Potter, you REALLY need to start from the beginning.” When he asked why, you answered, “Well, I just know that when I started, if I hadn’t started with The Scorceror’s Stone, I wouldn’t have been … PREPARED to read the rest.” You are so wise.

You and Nicholas have reached new heights in your sibling rivalry this year, and you are finding it harder and harder to “be the bigger person” when it comes to him baiting you. More and more often, you get dragged into a fight and you get right in there with him … whereas you used to try to avoid it. I think your boyness has finally come fully into play.

This year you’ve COMPLETELY blown us away with your reading ability. You’re reading on a 4^th or 5^th grade level … you blew through Nate the Great, the Judy Blume books and the Magic Treehouse series, and you’re more than halfway through the enormous Harry Potter tomes. You also learned a life lesson … you told me last week, “I wish the movie could be more like the book … the book is sooooooooo good.” I agreed with you.

You’ve also started Tweeting on Twitter … and following ME on Twitter, so I have to watch what I say VERY carefully. You just called me out publicly for saying “crap” in a Tweet. You’re a stinker! You keep me on my toes, for sure.

You’re excelling in 2^nd grade, and you like your teacher a lot. We’ve hardly had any interaction with her at all, because she seems to have no complaints about you. You love school … recently you had the stomach bug and threw up twice at school in the morning, but when the nurse called me at work, she said you wanted to stay there. She allowed you to, until you threw up a third time. Then she sent you home. I’m not sure we’re related, you and I … I never wanted to be in school!

You don’t run up to me at the end of the day anymore when I pick you up from school, but you still let me give you a hug in front of your friends. You love to get in bed with me at night and read snuggled up to me. You get yourself up in the morning around 6:00, before the alarm goes off, and get yourself ready every morning. (Again, possibly not related to me.) You remain a great big brother and a wonderful role model for Nicholas and Jake, and I love every moment of being your mom. I am so blessed!

Love,

Mommy