Our little boy turns seven tomorrow. And although he still has many moments of extreme immaturity (not unlike most 7-year-old boys, I think!), he really is acting his age. When he's not falling apart and being immature, he's trying so hard to be grown up.
Unfortunately, one of the ways in which he tries to be grown up is by staying up late at night. He gets up and turns his light on and reads, and talks to himself, and occasionally will sneak a few toys into his bed and play. We go up periodically and tell him that he has to go to sleep, but shortly thereafter, he's up again with the light on....
He's also insistent that the bedroom door be open while he's sleeping. I think he likes to be able to hear us talking. We close the door when we put them to bed, but he always opens it. And he'll sometimes come downstairs to tell us how he doesn't want to go to sleep because it's so boring. And that he's "practically a teenager," so he should be able to stay up later.
He also likes to ask us about what we're watching on TV, or what we're looking at on the computer. I think he really just doesn't like to feel like he's missing out on anything. As a result of his nightly forays downstairs, he's become very interested in American Idol, and is going to start watching the DVR'd episodes with me - which, I have to admit, I think will be really fun!
One night last week, in an attempt to get him to sleep earlier, we took the library books that he had been reading out of his room and put them on the landing of the stairs. And wouldn't you know it - he managed to sneak downstairs and get them without us hearing him. But of course, a short while later, we realized that he had turned the light on again, so Scott went up to talk to him and to take the books away again.
When he walked in the room, Gabe looked up and said "Well, you caught me! But at least you didn't catch me when I went downstairs and got the books!" And as the conversation continued, with Scott once again explaining how important it was for Gabe to get a good night's sleep, and how he was now going to take the books and put them somewhere that Gabe couldn't find them, Gabe replied "You can't challenge me!"
Oh, but we will challenge you, Gabe. And you will challenge us.
Frankly, you'll probably challenge us more than we challenge you, but we love you more than you could ever possibly imagine, and are so, so thankful that you came into our lives seven years ago. Happy Birthday to our handsome, sweet, funny little boy (who would probably roll his eyes at me calling him a 'little boy').
LOL... just remember, the older they get, the more sophisticated the challenges :-)
Posted by: Wes | March 22, 2011 at 12:35 PM
Your children are so lucky to have these wonderful commentaries of their growing up years....Dad and I enjoy reading them so much...thanks for sharing !
Posted by: Mom and Dad | March 22, 2011 at 04:38 PM