isaac at seven

What a great kid! I am so blessed to have Isaac in my life and it's easy to list the reasons why. He has so many wonderful/unique qualities that make him who he is. Here is a list of things about Isaac at seven - mostly good, with just a few annoying ones... I have to keep it real, right? :) But, one thing is for certain - I love this kid to pieces - the good, the bad (which isn't much), and everything in between.

We had some cousins help us celebrate Isaac's birthday with an ATV ride (which covered them from head to toe in dirt) and some cake. After that we went on over to the carnival, where I managed to get sick enough to puke! No joke. What a wuss!

On with the list:

1. I think the word that best sums up Isaac is persistent. Many of the characteristics on this list all boil down to the fact that it is his nature to keep pushing, and pushing, and pushing... which puts a lot of pressure on us as his parents. If guided correctly, this could end up being a great quality, but if misguided, he'll just end up pushing people's buttons throughout his life.

2. Another word that strongly describes Isaac - inquisitive. I've mentioned before how Isaac is constantly asking questions. He has this dire need to know how everything - and I mean EVERYTHING - in this vast universe functions. I was talking to his new teacher today and she told me what a great kid he is and then adds, "And, he is so inquisitive!"

3. He does not like action heroes. And, he'll make sure you know this. But, Transformers are okay.

4. One of his most favorite activities is riding his bike. Which is why I was surprised that he wanted to go to Soldier Hollow so bad - there will be no more riding bikes to school. I guess he likes the thought of cross country skiing (which he has never done) more than riding his bike.

5. Oh wait, I thought of another word for him - sensitive. He gets emotional and is extremely sensitive to things like: spiritual moments/conversations/prayers, missing his dog or a grandpa he never knew, being in the outdoors, discussing the fact that we may eat our chickens someday or Asa holding said chickens by the neck... just to name a few.

5. He is a very social kid. He loves his friends (even if he just met them 5 minutes ago) and cousins. He wants in on any sort of social gathering he catches wind of and DOES NOT like to leave until everyone else has. You can almost guarantee an emotional scene of Isaac crying and begging to stay longer because there was something he didn't get to do before his departure. It doesn't matter how long we have been there, he will have his moment. I try to get him to understand the concept of overstaying your welcome, but he doesn't seem to get it in the slightest.

6. He loves to laugh - he's a pretty light hearted guy. Not to say that he can't be very serious - he can and is, but he loves a good joke, a funny story, and his main concern in life is to have a good time.

7. He is an engineer in the making. What kind of engineer is yet to be determined. If there is wires, pipes, water, electricity, engines, pumps, batteries, lights, explosives or tools involved, you have his undivided attention - whether you want it or not. He is fascinated/obsessed with figuring out how ev-er-y-thing works, what purposes they serve, and all the details about them. And when possible, he has to do this in a very hands on way - often requesting (or just going ahead without permission) to take things apart that are supposedly broken, or in need of his expertise.

9. I reckon that Isaac will be a big traveler/tourist when he grows up (fanny pack and all). Whenever he sees any sort of destination spot on TV, or hears of someone else's adventures, or watches shows like UP, he inevitably says, "Can we go there someday?" And, he is constantly talking of the places we have been and asking when we will go back. As of now, his favorite places are Moab and Zions, says he. Another thing about Isaac's traveling, is his need to know everything about the place he is visiting. He is that person who stops at every kiosk or trail sign to read all the facts.

10. He loves scary, suspenseful, or adventure type movies. He asked to watch my favorite movie a while back, so I popped in The Princess Bride, and he loved it. Which made me happy. It's exciting for me to have a kid old enough to enjoy things that I did back in the day. Of course, I did try to get him to watch What About Bob the next day, but it didn't do it for him. Which makes sense; it wasn't the humor in The Princess Bride that captured his interest - it was the adventure and fantastic special effects.

11. He doesn't handle the word 'No' very well. I know that most kids don't like to be told 'no', but Isaac will push and push and whine, to try to get us to change a decision, and it drives me crazy. What drives me crazy, is the fact that he consistently earns a consequence when he does this, but he still does it. Constantly. I know I need to learn to loosen up a lot, but come on!

12. One more annoying tendency of his (and then I'll stop complaining about my wonderful kid), is the frequent question, "How do you know?", after I've just answered one of his questions. Ahh! I know I'm not the most credible source of information, and I'm sure that I do answer many questions incorrectly, but I'm not too prideful to answer, "I don't know", when I really don't. So, the constant doubt of my intelligence is down right hurtful.