Thane turns 7!

Last week, Thane had his 7th birthday! His birthday fell on a Saturday this year, which allowed for a much busier, more exciting day, including a father/son camp-out and a birthday party. When Thane turned four, he was conflicted about whether or not to have a birthday party.  Did he want a bunch of people around? Did he want all that attention on him?

Still picture averse

This time around, he was much less hesitant, though he tried to divert some of the attention by inviting some of Bryce's friends as well. Thane had a few strong opinions about his party - he wanted a robot theme, and he wanted a pinata.  Done and done.

Having Katie around makes birthdays much less stressful, because she takes over cake decorating duty. I didn't realize how much birthday cakes adds to the stress of the occasion until it was no longer my responsibility.  Plus, Katie does a much better job that I ever did!

We began the party by having all the kids make their own pizzas.  

While the pizzas cooked, the party goers made cute mini robots.

Then, after eating, they divided into three groups to work on bigger robots.  These might have been a bit beyond their level, but Aubree helped a lot and they were all good sports. Ultimately, they only managed to get one of them to work. 

Soon, it was time to go outside and take some whacks at the robot pinata, or the "evil robot" as they dubbed him.  Thank goodness for a beautiful, sunny day!

These kids were not at all shy about smashing the evil robot.

Lincoln, a star baseball player, did the most damage.

We still had a few kids who needed turns, so we made the kids wait before they dove for candy.

After everyone had a turn, Thane completed the demolition.

After that, there was no holding the candy-seekers back!

Despite a huge lunch and pinata candy, they made short work of the robot cake. 

Graham also made short work of his utensils. 

Thane finished up his party with presents and good-bye hugs.

He says he loved his party, and that's what really matters in the end.

He spent the afternoon playing outside with our neighbors and his new gifts (Nerf guns). We've never had Nerf guns before, and Thane is thrilled to have them.  His siblings think they're pretty great as well (even Nellie has learned how to shoot).

In addition to his annual personalized CD, Mark and I gave him Bop It! and a mini trampoline. 

Sometimes when we give gifts, we miss the mark.  This time, we nailed it.  Thane has spent hours playing Bop It! and jumping on his trampoline - often simultaneously. 

Thane remains an intense and paradoxical kid. Like many seven year-olds, he is hyper-focused on making sure things seem "fair." However, he gets much more upset when other people get in trouble than when he gets trouble.  He's super competitive, but is equally likely to intentionally make a bad move if he thinks it will help someone else out in a board game.  He's unfailingly patient at teaching his younger siblings new skills and games, but also has a quick temper.  

At home, Thane's rarely still, constantly fidgets, and jumps when he gets nervous or over-excited (especially when watching movies or computer games). His church teachers proclaim he's the calmest kid in their class!  Thane does everything fast and always seems to be in a hurry.  He asks insightful questions and always wants to understand what's going on around him. 

He is persistent, and loyal, and empathetic, and we are so glad we have him in our family and got to celebrate his birth!

An Interview with Thane:

Favorite Color?: "Gold and blue."

Favorite Candy?:  "Sour Patch Kids and Kit Kat."

What do you want to be when you grow up?: "A house builder.”

Where do you want to go on your mission?: "To Colorado. I don't know why."

Favorite Primary Song?: "'Gethsemane."

Favorite Animal?: "Tiger."

Favorite Movie?: "Charlotte's Web."

Favorite Thing to Do?: "Play! Play with my remote controlled car."

Favorite Food: "Pizza and frog-eye salad."

Best Friends?: "Lydia, Finley, Brock, Anna, Collin, Emerie, and Asher."

Favorite Book?: "Percy Jackson."

Favorite Toy?: "Bop It!"

What makes you happy?: "Playing Bop It."

Favorite thing to do with Mom?: "Play Sunday-night-game-night games."

Favorite thing to do with Dad?: "Same thing as mom."

What do you do really well?: "Draw animals."

What makes you laugh?: "When mom says, 'I ate him,' and someone else says, 'And I helped.'"

What’s the best time of day?: "When we get to go play outside with the Kerby's."
What's your favorite day of the week?: "Saturday because then we can play outside with the Kerby's more because they don't have to go to school."

What are you afraid of?: "Nothing. I don't know."

What do you like to do with your family?: "Play games."

What do you love to learn about?: "Math."

What is your favorite class/subject?: “Math, because it's easy.”

Where do you like to go?: "To Fred Meyer and Grocery Outlet.”

If you had one wish, what would it be?: "That I could have more wishes. If I could only have one, then I would wish to keep that wish forever until it was the right time."

What would you do if you had $1,000?: "Spend it on helicopter stuff."

What is your favorite song?: "'Ring Around the Rosie', because Nellie likes it so much."

What do you hope you can do before your next birthday?: "Get the clubhouse and the helicopter done." 

What's your favorite Super Hero?: "Green Arrow."