Levi is NINE!

Levi, this blog post is late in coming, but I am going to do it anyway. Happy 9th Birthday! Here are some pictures of what you've been up to the past year: 

You had a Pokemon themed birthday! Daddy and I made you a Squirtle cake from vanilla cake with blueberry filling, rice krispie treats, and fondant. 

You wanted to get sushi for your birthday lunch, so we went to Kome Sushi. You loved it! We sat along the bar and watched the chef make the food. You tried lots of fresh, raw sushi and enjoyed it! 

On the 16th, we went to Main Event to celebrate you. We were there for many hours playing in the arcade and playing laser tag. The boys all did the high ropes course as well, which you got a little nervous about, but you made it all the way through! As a special surprise, the manager allowed you INTO the crane game to pick out a stuffed animal of your choice (you chose a huge koala!) and then you got to try out the virtual reality game as well. 

You love to stay busy. In the morning we try to give you tasks because you wake up ready to work. You'll sit on the couch and spend time with Dora. You like to play board games if Daddy has time. Sometimes you'll wake up and get a jump start on school work. If you could have your way, you'd watch TV or play your nintendo switch. But we try to guide this time toward helpful activities. 

You enjoy baking and cooking in the kitchen. You have gotten pretty good at making our family's unity cookie and peanut butter cookies. I think you mostly do it because you get to lick the batter at the end, but who wouldn't be motivated by that?! Here we were making reindeer cookies for one of our Christmas school activities. 

We are pretty sure you react poorly to food dye, so we try to avoid them as much as possible. It seems that especially around Halloween you break out with a rash on your chin. But it's been a lot of trial and error. We've been avoiding dairy and gluten since you were 3 and it seems to be beneficial for your overall health. 

Playing Pokemon Labryinth at Mission: Board Games. We get to go on 3 special times throughout the year. We do a variety of things; in July we went to a KC Monarchs game and had an absolute blast. In November we went to a nearby game store to play games together. I really enjoy spending these times together. We also do "Together Time" for about 30 min. each week. You really enjoy this one-on-one time with me and we do a variety of things: read, pray, talk, watch YouTube videos, and play on your switch to name a few. I pray this time stays consistent and it will bear fruit in our relationship. 

You are getting better at making green bean casserole for Thanksgiving every year! 

You are silly and fun! You love to laugh and run; play football, volleyball and soccer. You like making friends and talking to other people. You like reading the "Calvin and Hobbes" comic books. You are becoming a better reader and starting to read more and more on your own. You particularly love books with lots of action -- like Harry Potter, Chronicles of Narnia, and more. You like shooting your Nerf guns, bow and arrow, and fishing. 

You love finding and caring for little animals. You are a great care taker of Sapphire your leopard gecko. You began your own pet care business this year and were able to open a savings account with a good chunk of money (besides buying a few things off your amazon wish list!). You are hoping to double that amount in the coming year! 

We enjoyed a fun camping trip as a family in September up at Wallace State park. You enjoyed laying in the hammock, fishing in the canoe, riding your bike around the loop, and exploring. You seem to really love the outdoors and I hope we're able to do more camping trips in the future. 

You are almost ready for your next bully battle! You've loved moving up to the Black Belt club and having a smaller class size that is more focused. Your favorite teachers are Ryan and Paul. You plan to take a couple of private lessons with them to further prepare you for your Bully Battle in 2023 when you hope to earn your first orange belt. 

The kids enjoyed competing in a family baking competition! You and Zoe made chocolate whoopie pies. You worked together well and did a terrific job following the recipe. 

This was a fun science experience when we painted thin layers of glue on our skin, waited for it to dry and then peeled it off. It was meant to represent the way reptiles molt and shed their skin. You loved it! Especially since you love learning about reptiles so much! 

You walked in the Parkville Day parade with your Kick group! Zoe and Daddy joined you as well. It was a hot day, but you seemed to have a lot of fun! 

You are in 3rd grade this year! In Math you are learning multiplication; you are becoming a better reader - we are almost through the 100 lessons book for learning how to read. You are improving your skills in piano and nearly ready for the red books. You are less frustrated with school than you used to be. You are very motivated to get through your essentials -- math, phonics, and handwriting -- every day so will sometimes work ahead either the night before or the morning of. 

This is Oreo and Marshmallow, a couple of the cats you take care of with your pet care business. This year you hope to make business cards to spread the word. Although I think more than anything, I'm going to need you to start biking to some of your jobs to save me some time ;) 

This was a fun day at Powell Gardens. This cabinet was full of chrysalises, waiting to have butterflies emerge. You thought it was pretty cool! 

Birthday Interview -- February 24, 2023 

What is your favorite color? "All of them" 

 ...movie? "Croods 2" 

... tv show? "Avatar: The Last Airbender" 

... book? "Calvin and Hobbes"

... fruit? "Banana"

... animal? "Gorilla" 

... thing to do everyday? "Do screen time!" 

... about Naomi? "That she likes morning and night hugs." 

... about Zoë? "That she likes playing games with me." 

... about Zeke? "That he builds tents downstairs for us." 

... about Mommy? "That she helps me figure out problems in math."

... about Daddy? "That me and him like fishing."

What do you want to be when you grow up? "What do you call someone who owns their own shop? A business owner -- an animal shop." 

What do you like most about homeschooling? "That our school isn't as long as public school." 

What is your favorite food? "Lasagna" 

Anything else you want to remember about turning 9?  "That there's only one more year until my 10 year old trip! And that I'm 9. That's it!" 

 Levi Olin, you are so loved and wanted and appreciated in our family! Our lives would be much quieter without you. You are persistent, want fairness in all things, struggle with intense FOMO, stand up for yourself (and others), like routine and consistency, wear very large shoes (I think we've finally found a pair that last more than 2 months, fit your foot well, and don't require me to help you put them on!!!! #winning), know how to start your own load of laundry, are picky about your socks, and love family movie night -- with pizza! I love you so much! Happy Birthday!  ~Love, Mom