This sweet boy turned 7 on January 4th!! It seems like he has grown up SO much in the last year. I have loved how our conversations have evolved, and how he has matured. He is an amazing and aware big brother and is constantly watching out for Beckham and Benson. He is also super silly when he wants to be, although most of the time I would say he's pretty serious about what he's doing. I have found him beat-boxing on a regular basis, something he has picked up from his Daddy, and I think it's cute.
He weighs about 50 lbs and is wearing size 6/7 clothes now. He hates when water gets on him when we are doing his hair, and he also hates if someone touches him with wet hands. He is very particular, and aware of details. He has learned to help me fold laundry and he won't admit it, but I think he secretly loves "family folding day." Lol. He wants to do the right thing, he is so good through and through. He has so much faith, he loves Jesus so much and often will suggest using prayer to find things he's lost, or ask for a blessing. He also learned how to ride a two-wheeler this year!! He hasn't lost any teeth yet, but I noticed about a week ago that his two front bottom teeth are growing in behind the baby teeth and it is making his front teeth loose, so he's pretty happy about that. :)
This is his new "picture face." Lol.
He was very proud that he got to put on the Minecraft figures just how he wanted. They are having a battle.
As many people know, we homeschool, and this year Bridger would have been in "1st grade." I saw him improve in amazing ways this year and it has made me so proud. Last year I went with him every week to co-op for a few hours, he wouldn't go alone, but from the very beginning of this year he has gone on his own and I'm hearing from Sister Garner that he has been participating and loving it. It almost makes me cry. He also did swimming lessons from the same teacher last year, but it took forever for him to warm up and get in the water and participate...this year he has been super involved and he started swimming right off the bat! A few months ago he even asked his teacher if he could jump off the diving board!! WHAT?? My Bridger?? *jaw drop* When I saw where he was heading I grabbed my phone and ran over to record and take pictures, cause this is a big deal. The first time he went to the end of the diving board and I think it looked higher than he thought, so he came back and I showed him from the side that it really wasn't that high, so he got back up there, bounced a little bit, then jumped! His teacher was waiting in the water with a noodle, but she sent him kicking on his back to the side of the pool all on his own. He wanted to go again, so the next time she stayed on the edge and he STILL jumped in all by himself, flipped onto his back and kicked to the wall. I was so impressed with his bravery and confidence. His teacher told me that he has been doing awesome and can even tread water, which she hasn't even taught yet, and that he had been the one to ask to jump off the diving board. *tears* He has made some good friends this year that he loves to get together for play dates with, Keidan and Mason are the two he plays with most. Keidan is in his co-op, Sister Garner's son, and Mason is a friend we've known since before we moved a few years ago.
He is doing Life of Fred for math, which he and I both love. We use a curriculum called The Good & Beautiful for English and Handwriting and he has done so amazing with both. We actually are just finishing up Level 1, so he will be starting Level 2 (2nd grade) in the next few days. He also has a Minecraft class and he has come to love it with a passion, he has built some pretty incredible things so far and loves to tell me about the circuits, portals and other things he is building. We do a subscription called "Tinker Crate" for Science, and he has been able to put together some awesome projects! We've learned about circuits, we built a spin art machine and we built a planetarium with a light inside that shows the stars on the walls and ceiling in the dark, he got to learn all about how to hook up the electrical parts.
His favorite things to do are build LEGO's and magformers, and of course play Minecraft. He also loves to build different marble runs with Beckham. He has come to really love reading this year, he read his first chapter book and was very proud of himself. He loves to read the new Friend every month, as soon as it comes in the mail he grabs it and takes it up to his bedroom for reading time at night before bed, that makes me happy. :)
We took him to a PsyD at Primary Children's for some testing this year, it's super in depth and can tell you all about how your child's memory works, how they learn, they strengths and weaknesses etc. We had some things we weren't sure how to handle and felt inspired to take him and I'm so glad we did! I had thought he was possibly high-functioning autistic and/or ADHD, his doctor thought he had enough of the signs to recommend us to go there. It turns out that he tested at a gifted level with his visual spacial skills, his memory is also awesome. His processing takes a little more time, and she said he also has General Anxiety Disorder. She explained to me that it seemed like he was having trouble because his visual spacial is so high, and his processing takes time (pile anxiety on top of that) and when people just keep talking AT him it's difficult for him to focus. It was amazing how this information changed how I was approaching his education! She encouraged me to do anything with building and hands-on that I could, that it would benefit him and push him. I am very grateful we felt inspired to homeschool so that I could learn these things and tailor his education for him, I have seen the Spirit guide and have seen how he has grown in the past year because of it.
20 questions with Bridger:
- What is your favorite toy? My Mountain Cave LEGO's
- What is your favorite part about school? Swimming lessons
- Who is your favorite scripture hero? Nephi
- What is your favorite food? Pepperoni pizza
- What is your favorite dessert? Ice cream and doughnuts
- What is your favorite vegetable? Cauliflower
- What is your favorite fruit? Blueberries
- What do you want to be when you grow up? A paleontologist
- What is your favorite snack? Garlic Triscuits shaped like triangles
- What is your favorite book? my reader books
- What is your favorite thing to have for breakfast? Vanilla yogurt with granola
- What is your favorite holiday? My birthday and Christmas
- What does Mommy always say to you? I love you
- What does Daddy always say to you? Bridger
- What is your favorite TV show? Power Battle Watch Car
- Who is your best friend? Calum
- What are you really good at? Minecraft
- If you could have a wish, what would it be? Fire power, I can shoot fire balls and have fire and have fire on my hand and it won't hurt, unless it's on too long.
- What is your favorite primary song? I Am A Child of God
- What vegetable do you hate the most? Sweet potato and squash
It was so nice this year that Bridger got to have his party outside!! Lol. I think this is the first time! He wanted a Minecraft cake...and Minecraft LEGO's. I think he was happy. ;)
That's his "I love it" face. Lol.
Some funny lines from Bridger over the past year (most taken from my FB):
Bridger: Hey, Mommy!
Me: Yeah?
Bridger: You got an extra reward for reading school to me today.
Me: What is it??
Bridger: You get extra money! *hands me a penny*
I love this boy. I'm so glad I earned a penny today. I mean, I got paid a LEGO flower for helping him wipe last year, at least I made a penny today.
#iwilltakewhaticanget #bestpennyever #thatlegoflowerisstillspecialtome
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Bridger showed me a cool new trick outside...
Bridger: Mom, watch!! *he shows me*
Me: Awesome, bud!
Bridger: It gets funner and funner when you are scared of it!!
Me: ...!!
#boymom #theygetitfromtheirdad
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Playing Mario Bros with Bridger one afternoon...
Me: Sorry, bud. *after burning through 10 lives in the first 5 minutes*
Bridger: He smiles...it's ok, you did your best. (proud Mom moment here)
2 minutes later...
Me: *5 more lives down...*
Bridger: You are usually not very good at this.
It seems that I have exceeded the limits of my 6 year old's patience. I think he was reminded why he doesn't ask me to play. LOL.
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And just in case I forgot to write this one on his last birthday post...
We were having scripture study and were reading in 2 Nephi 2:14, it says, "...there is a God, and he hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth..."
I summarized a few verses: We have Earth and all the plants and trees, the universe and all the planets, and those things prove that God is real.
Bridger: Ok...but astronauts do not go to Neptune.
I am going to take that comment as a win, he was actually listening. So random, but somehow kind of relevant. LOL. I love scripture study with kids.
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