Seven.

As in, that's what my kid is. Today. Henry is seven. Seven! I know.

A few weeks ago we were in the grocery store and he picked up a "7" candle. "Let's get this for my birthday cake," he said.
"No," I said. "I can't buy that. That, you see, is a 7."
"But that's what I'll be!" he said.
"I'm sorry. I just can't do it. Let's get two 3's and a 1!" I suggested.
"Mooooooom," he said. And threw the 7 into the cart. He's seven, after all. He doesn’t put up with my bullshit.

It appears that I must face facts: he's turning into a big kid. He calls me "Mom," now. I've caught him rolling his eyes at me. He insists that he's too old to hold my hand (then almost immediately forgets and grabs for me, and we walk like that for blocks before he remembers). He calls for me in a crowd by shouting "Alice Bradley!" He races me to the curb, and he wins. (Which, okay, isn't saying much, as I am not exactly known for my speed.) We play card games, and he lets me win. He is long-limbed and his baby teeth are falling out far too quickly for my taste and he is reading and writing and humming improvised soundtracks for his Bionicle and Lego adventures and drawing these intricate, complicated schematics that I can't begin to figure out.

He is astounding. I am telling you this completely objectively and not at all because I'm his mother. Look, I don't want to put down your kids, I'm sure they're super, but it's highly possible that I have the Greatest Child in the Universe. Anecdotal evidence strongly supports my theory, is all I'm saying. Although I have yet to conduct an extensive study. I'm going to have to look into some funding.

So far it's been a good birthday. Last weekend we had a slumber party, which we're still recovering from. (Mama's getting old and doesn't handle that sleep-deprivation thing all that well, turns out.) This morning there were pancakes and a couple of Star Wars-themed gifts. We were awarded a group hug for those. After school he's getting a Legos set and Battleship and a Calvin and Hobbes book. Don't tell him, though, it's a surprise.

Next year, he tells me, he's going to be eight. He's already making plans. I keep telling him to slow down, but he just smiles that crazy toothless smile at me, and barrels ahead.

Comments

[Jane]

Aw, so sweet! I think you should put up another video of him!

[PB Rippey/sleepless mama]

My nephew Henry also turned 7 on this day. He had Star Wars everything last year. This year it's all about skateboards. A friend's son turned 4 and he is also all about skateboards. I look at my toddler and I think: dear god i will find a way i will find a way.......I mean, at least helmets and padding are cool now. Gah!

[Mauigirl]

Happy belated birthday to Henry! Tell him to enjoy his year for me!

[Meredith]

Happy birthday Henry! My kids are calling me Mom and rolling their eyes at me at ages 3 and 4, does that mean they are advanced? :)

[Kristen]

My son insisted on turning 7 in June against my better judgment. But my daughter has gotten it into her head that she is turning 10 (TEN!) in 3 weeks and I am negotiating HARD for another year of 9. I don't seem to be winning, but I am not giving up the fight!

Happy Birthday to Henry - since he went ahead and did it. :)

[Anne Gibert]

As soon as I saw that this is a blog about small children I was about to move on. Something caught me, though, and I kept reading. And I kept reading. And I said to myself, good writing. Sounds like a nice woman with a smart, funny kid. So I'll read again. Soon.

[repliderium.com]

You know how everyone wishes that puppies & kitten could stay small forever????? I feel that way about kids.

[Stacy]

Beautiful. And sad! And true. (Even the Greatest Kid Ever part. I'll let you have that for Henry today.) *sigh* Zack will be seven in August and he's already leaning into it. I feel like even though there was a lot of advance warning about how damn poignant being a mother would be that words can barely skim the surface of the daily heartbreaks and heart.... heartgrows? Heartfills? Heart whats? Hmm....

[Susan]

I remember waking up on my seventh birthday and thinking Today I Am Seven! as if it were on a par with waking up a king. I don't recall feeling that way about six or eight or forty nine.

[mynext50.wordpress.com]

Ohhh, I so long for 7 again. My son is double that, and the oh so cute eye rolls at 7, well at 14, they're not so much. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy, roll around in it like a dog in you know what!

[mynext50.blogspot.com]

I just thought of one more thing I miss about 7, the kisses. If my son even entertains the idea of letting me kiss him (forget about the opposite scenario occurring at 14) he leans his head down to me so I can kiss his hair. What the heck is that all about!

[BOSSY]

Lorrrrrrd, add ten years to that and a handful of more years and you'll approach the level of heartbreak Bossy feels when she thinks about *her* son.

[Asianmommy]

Happy Bday to Henry! Wow--they grow up fast.

[Amy Fitzgerald]

Egad! 7, huh? That must make me, the mother of an 11-how-the-hell-did-that-happen?-year old ancient!

Just love reading your blogs, I can SO hear your voice!!

Miss you!
Amy

[Amie]

So sweet. We are finding out what we are having tomorrow. It is our first and I am sure it is going to feel like tomorrow when he/she turns seven. It makes me weepy already.

[Shannon]

That last paragraph brought tears to my eyes....