Levi is SEVEN!

 Levi Olin, you are 7 years old! On your birthday this year, you picked out your very own pet -- a leopard gecko! 

You were so disappointed when Daddy told you Pet-topia didn't open until 10 AM. You thought that they should be up and open by 7 am! :) But when Daddy explained that Chris (the owner) has to feed all the pets and check on them before the store could be open, you were more understanding. You held a couple of geckos and decided this one was the best fit for you! You have named him Sapphire (for some reason you had a whole list of gem related names picked out?!) and we are calling him "him" for now as you cannot distinguish gender until geckos are closer to 2 years old. We've given Sapphire the birthday of August 17, 2020. You picked out a purple plant for decoration and since Christmas have also received a couple of gifts for his terrarium -- a green, vine plant and a reptile hammock. He has quite the set-up. You make sure we feed him and try to hold him everyday. And last night he climbed up your arm! He is definitely getting more comfortable with you. 

You began 1st grade this year and have been learning addition, letter sounds and phonics, studied the artist Whistler and the composer Haydn, Spanish, the 50 states, listening to stories about the Middle Ages, listening to tons of audio books on the Hoopla app through the KCK library {this program is awesome!}, taken nature hikes and done some journaling, learned to bake Viking bread {you recently asked to make this again}, colored pictures to help you remember our family ways {a family devo we're completing together}, learned 5 hymns, plus more worksheets and other activities! You are a good student. Math is your slowest subject, not so much because you don't understand but because you want to work through each problem slowly and thoroughly in order to always produce the correct answers. You love science and learning about animals and nature! You love physical activity and ride your bike regularly, like to kick the soccer ball, throw the frisbee, toss the football, play tag, and participate in Jiu Jitsu once a week. You're getting stronger and have no problem keeping up on our family hikes even when they're more than 2 miles!You enjoy listening to your playlist on Spotify and playing drums when we do our worship time together on Sunday mornings. 

You have a strong sense of justice and fairness in every capacity. Sometimes it is a gift, other times a curse. But we will continue to work with you to make it a strength in your life because it can indeed be a blessing and a driving force to shape your life and what you choose to do. You are a great helper! You vacuum the rug every day, help clean the table off after every meal, enjoy baking, sometimes let the chickens out in the morning, sweep and mop, do odd jobs as I ask for them, and have become quite a responsible boy! 

Birthday Interview -- December 29, 2020

What is your favorite color? Purple 

...movie? "Croods 2" {We took him to see this at the theaters on 12/21 for his birthday!}

... tv show? "Scooby Doo" 

... book? the books from the library about leopard geckos. 

... fruit? Grapes 

... animal? "It's two things. Cheetah and a bull. It's a leopard gecko, I mean." 

... thing to do everyday? "Play a game. And eat breakfast." :) 

... about Naomi? "That she's kind." 

... about Zoë? "I like coloring with her." 

... about Zeke? "That we build together." 

... about Mommy? "That we get to hold my leopard gecko." 

... about Daddy? "Fishing." 

What do you want to be when you grow up? "I don't know. That's a tricky one... what I really want to be is a smoke jumper but I don't know if I really want to do that." 

What do you like most about homeschooling? "That I get to learn math." 

What is your favorite food? "Reubens" 

Levi, it is a joy to be your Momma. You are intense, strong, and dependable! I love sharing some of our favorite things together -- music, baking, animals, nature, and physical activity! I cannot wait to see the way your life unfolds and all the things you will do! I look forward to sharing this eighth trip around the sun together and all this next year holds for you and your family! Love, Momma