(Matthew's Covid test yesterday was negative, he's feeling better, but he's getting kinda wheezy in the lungs so we're keeping an eye on him. No asthma-related ER visits in over a year! Wheeeeee!)
Matthew turned 7 this month! I can't believe he's still aging. He'll always, always, always be the youngest kid...and possibly the smallest?...is that why it amazes me every time he gets older or taller? I want to share his first ever school photo with you. It's fun:
It captures so much and so little of him all at once.
What is Matthew like these days? He's a cheerful, sensitive, warm kind of fellow who likes stories, playing cooperative imaginary games with his siblings, and cute little stuffed animals.
Matthew is a bit of a softy. He'll give you a good deal on a trade or let you choose the next game just to make you happy. He's willing to play along with almost anything. His feelings are bruised easily, even by something as innocuous as a prolonged stare in his direction, but he's also quick to laugh.
He's excited about learning new things. He's proud of his reading ability and is no longer satisfied with the shortest verse during family scripture study. He's conscientious about following
rules/expectations wherever he is. He doesn't like practicing the piano,
but he loves being able to play new songs by the end of the week. He asks questions, poses theories, and invents experiments like the rest of his nerdy clan. He's mastered UNO and Go Fish. Yesterday, he attempted Phase 10. It was frustrating and slow until Alex joined his team, but he was good natured about it. He's attempted Jenga, Yahtzee, and Parcheesi, too, with mixed results. I think he's always willing to try something new as long as he gets to hang out with people he likes.
He can't help but dance when there's a beat. He's always in the mood for a playful wrestle or chase game, but not a competitive one. And he's crazy flexible.
Matthew has developed some physical and behavioral tics. Like Alex and Robert, he shares the "balanced/unbalanced" compulsion I had as a kid. And, like Alex and Robert, the tics keep changing and don't seem to interfere with regular life, so they don't worry me too much. He went through a mouth noise phase that was only annoying because it bothered Robert so much :( I wish Robert remembered how many of his tics we've patiently endured, noisy and/or gross as they were. Sigh. Sometimes Matthew needs to do something or say something 2 or 4 times to feel "even" and sometimes he needs to do it 1, 3 or 5 times to feel "uneven". Kinda depends on the phase. He's pretty "no nonsense" about it, though, and often satisfies the balance compulsion quietly.
I recently started staying with Matthew during his individual prayers at bedtime. At first, it was the same 3 things he would pray for every night: help me have good dreams, help me not be homesick at school, help Mommy get better. Even with him having to say the words 2 or 3 times for balance, it didn't take long. Then, as we continued the habit, his prayers got longer and more elaborate and more detailed: please make the lunch order 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, please help me not have bad dreams, and help me have good dreams, and help me remember my dreams, thank you that I'm not homesick at school any more, thank you that Mom is feeling better, please help me not get sick, please can I have a good day tomorrow. And then, just the last week or so, he started adding things like, "I like talking to you, it's like talking to Mom" "I don't want to end my prayer," and "I wish I could see you." I don't mind the length of his prayers, even when he has to repeat some lines 6 times, because his requests are honest and earnest. I always feel the Spirit.
He's also pretty defensive around his pumpkin pie...
I love you, Matthew! Thanks for giving our family a chance :)
Posts
