Colin

(It's been a while since I posted about the kids specifically.  I gather lots of moments and stories that I want to post to have in the record, but there are fewer and fewer minutes I have to spare to write.  So these are some catch up memories)

Colin is growing up so fast before our very eyes.  It's true that the oldest is often older than their years.  He looks up to James and I as examples, and so matures in leaps and bounds.

He's quick as anything at math.  He is fascinated by how numbers work, and adds and subtracts as though he has been doing it for years, and already has a good grasp on multiplication and division.  Like me, it seems to make sense in his mind, so he is never looking at an equation simply as a calculation, but rather as making sense of the world around him.

James has begun having weekly interviews on Sunday afternoons with Colin.  This is a chance for Colin to talk about what's happened during the week, and to pose any questions (about anything) he might have.  They also open up Colin's journal, write a few sentences about the week in it, and check up on Colin's progress toward his yearly goals.  We set some goals we want Colin to achieve, and he chose some of his own (more about that back in my post on the special dinner we took Colin to.)  He chose learning to tie shoelaces and learning to take out the garbage.  Colin loves these interviews, the one-on-one time with Dad, and yet another chance to feel grown-up.

Seven years has also brought a little bit of attitude with it.  Colin sometimes seems under the illusion that if he snaps his fingers we'll all jump to his command.  A gentle rebuke is usually all that is necessary to remedy the notion, however, as Colin still loves to seem helpful in all things.

Colin's allowance is tied to "money chores" - hand scrubbing the kitchen floor, scrubbing the bathroom floor, and vacuuming the stairs.  He's been fairly consistent at asking to do these each week in order to earn money.  He has no interest in spending the money - he wants to save up for one of several things, all of which are over $100.  I've also begun "bonus money" they can earn, by memorizing the children's Primary songs they learn at church.  These are songs that teach beautiful spiritual concepts, and others help in memorizing the order of the books of scripture ("Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers...")

Colin still loves lego more than anything.  His creations get bigger and more involved with each one.  We've also noticed he has a really good eye for drawing (didn't get that from his mom or dad!)  I'll be interested to see how that develops.  He is excited for the ball hockey league that starts in the spring.  He spent his birthday and Christmas money on goalie equipment, and we've had a blast heading over to the church gym for an evening to play ball hockey as a family.

I feel like I should be jumping on the music bandwagon soon.  He's already seven, and can read and has a good understanding of math, which are the basic criteria I used to use when taking on piano students.  I just feel like our days are so busy with just the basics that I can't imagine having 20 uninterrupted minutes to teach him an instrument.  Maybe come September...

Colin and Caleb enjoy playing lots of games together now, but I wonder if in the future as Benjamin gets older if Colin will move off to be more by himself.  Caleb and Benjamin seem to have more fire beneath them, needing to run and tumble around.  Colin is much more prone to daydreaming while working at one task for long periods of time.