A little about Steven

Our oldest child has once again done things by the book. Not even 24 hours after he turned six, he tells me that one of his teeth is wiggly. It is his first loose tooth, and the internet says that kids start loosing their teeth between 6 and 7. The reason this is so significant is because Steven has done stuff exactly when "the books" say he is going to from the time he was born. I have always said that Steven did a great job of teaching me how to be a Mom, because I saw what babies are capable of if you just teach them. He ate when he should have eaten, he sat when he should have sat, he crawled when he should have crawled. He really made mothering easy. :)

And he is also doing an excellent job of being an older brother. He loves to help his little brothers reach things, or put things back together, or whatever. Unfortunately he gets yelled at by them from time to time because they don't want his help. I am trying to change that behavior to be more kind on Nathan and Jacobs part. :)


I am very much enjoying having an "older" child. The things that he does on his own now, make my life so much easier. He is very good in Sacrament Meeting and can entertain himself for the most part, he takes showers all my himself now, he can go in the kitchen and get himself a drink instead of me stopping what I am in the middle of, he gets himself dressed in matching, weather appropriate clothes for school, and he just loves to wear his new suit to church. He is a real joy to watch grow.Steven has lots of little quirks about him as well, one of which I will mention. When he is given something to adorn himself with, he seems to hang on to it forever. He got a CTR ring in Primary at least two months ago, that he wears every day. The band has turned copper, and his finger is green all around where he wears the ring, but he still wears it. Some other things you will find on him that have lasted much longer than anyone expected are... a plastic bunny ring that the Easter Bunny gave him, a pin-on button that he got from school that advertises the electric company that he wears on his shirt every day, and a necklace that looks like an olympic metal that he got from a Primary activity we did forever ago. I am afraid for him to get any more trashy jewelry for fear that he will wear it forever.

Steven also has a lot that I admire in him. I think about first putting him in to the German kindergarten here, and leaving him at 4 and a half in a school for 3 hours a day where no one could understand him and he could understand no one. I would have Hated! that. That would have been so extremely hard for me. I am really one that likes to be in my comfort zone, and whenever I am in a new situation I am very uncomfortable. I think Steven is a lot like me, so it must have been so hard for him to be there. But it has been so character building, and I am glad that I didn't let my fear stop him from having this experience. He is almost fluent in German now and can communicate with the neighbor kids all day. He also loves to translate when the neighbors are here, and I have no clue what they are asking. It has been a wonderful opportunity for him to be here in Germany, and broaden his mind.

Of course Steven comes with his challenges too. As he grows older he has become quite sassy. He has a lot to complain about, and he says, "I am NOT doing that" to almost every cleaning task I ask him to do. We are working on this with him, because he needs to be a better example for his little brothers, and more helpful to his Mother.

We love having Steven in our family, and are so grateful to be his parents. He is going to be an amazing man, and I am really loving watching him grow into one.