by Rochelle Fletcher
So this past weekend, we had a trial run of parenting a 7 year old and wow it is exhausting! lol! I am almost embarrassed to have ever complained about lack of sleep or being tired with a new born. New borns sleep, poop, eat, sleep some more. 7 year olds, on the other hand, have energy to burn and they can't do it alone so they bring you along for the ride. This old girl needs a good nap now and then when blowing off that much steam but this 7 year old was not having any break time!
Amelia's cousin, Spencer (the 7 year old), and my sister, Tonya, came to visit for the weekend as March Break was underway in New Brunswick. It was a whirlwind tour and our tour guide was Spencer. He first took us to the Museum of Natural History where we had a chance to see and touch live snakes and turtles and oh yes...tarantulas. Amelia's favorite exhibit was the taxidermied deer and moose. Her Pa (ahem...Dale) will be pleased that she seems to have an eye for the hunt. She also squealed when she saw the lynx. Perhaps because it looked like Castor.
Next stop was the Discovery Center where we had hours of entertainment. Spencer spent most of his time playing the trivia games and racing on a timed track. Watching him run over and over was exhausting. Amelia closed her eyes and I had a little sit down. No amount of running could slow the 7 year old down though so our pit stop was short lived. Amelia's favorite activity was the bubble room. Spencer created bubbles for her that were at least a foot wide and in one case encased his entire body. Amelia was mesmerized.
When visiting Halifax, a 7 year old must make a stop at the Freaky Lunchbox. This is a candy store that sells all the old penny candy (at an extraordinary price of course). Spencer filled his bag for the trip home. While he was looking around, I lectured Amelia on proper dental hygiene and the devastating affects of sugar on teeth. She assured me she understood and would never partake in such an indulgence (when she has teeth).
Our "down time" between excursions consisted of walks, reading books with Amelia, playing the keyboard (purchased by 2 naive people who never thought of how it would sound being played at full volume by every child that has since entered our home), making Amelia laugh to show her dimples and teaching her to roll over and crawl. With Spencer's tutelage, Amelia managed a couple roll overs and has continued to do them after he left. Crawling is not quite there yet but she can wiggle on her belly in a full 180 degree circle... progress!
7 year olds are past the stage of asking questions constantly. Instead, they absorb all conversation around them and then throw out these facts that may or may not have anything to do with what you are talking about. This is where I would love to make a list of what I learned from a 7 year old in 1 weekend but I don't know if I can remember all the facts he was throwing out at me. Let me see which of the billion stick out in my mind (and Spencer would likely correct me on one of these I am sure):
- babies blink 2x a minute where as adults blink 50+
- all numbers that you double become an even number
- pythons are constrictors who do not bite their prey but squeeze
- it is not a good idea to have more than 2 kids (he is the 2nd child to tell me this...hmmm)
- when planning parties, it is best to invite all your friends and THEN see how many people it adds up to (coming from the child who is allowed to invite 7 kids to his birthday party next month)
Exhaustion aside, it was amazing to see Amelia's development over the weekend. She didn't take her eyes off Spencer once and she seemed bound and determined to keep up with him! Sending them off on the train was just another reminder of how much we wish we were closer to all our family. Until that happens, weekends like these are extra special to us. Next time he comes to visit, I may have to put some sleepy time tea on his breakfast menu just so I can keep up!
So this past weekend, we had a trial run of parenting a 7 year old and wow it is exhausting! lol! I am almost embarrassed to have ever complained about lack of sleep or being tired with a new born. New borns sleep, poop, eat, sleep some more. 7 year olds, on the other hand, have energy to burn and they can't do it alone so they bring you along for the ride. This old girl needs a good nap now and then when blowing off that much steam but this 7 year old was not having any break time!
Amelia's cousin, Spencer (the 7 year old), and my sister, Tonya, came to visit for the weekend as March Break was underway in New Brunswick. It was a whirlwind tour and our tour guide was Spencer. He first took us to the Museum of Natural History where we had a chance to see and touch live snakes and turtles and oh yes...tarantulas. Amelia's favorite exhibit was the taxidermied deer and moose. Her Pa (ahem...Dale) will be pleased that she seems to have an eye for the hunt. She also squealed when she saw the lynx. Perhaps because it looked like Castor.
Next stop was the Discovery Center where we had hours of entertainment. Spencer spent most of his time playing the trivia games and racing on a timed track. Watching him run over and over was exhausting. Amelia closed her eyes and I had a little sit down. No amount of running could slow the 7 year old down though so our pit stop was short lived. Amelia's favorite activity was the bubble room. Spencer created bubbles for her that were at least a foot wide and in one case encased his entire body. Amelia was mesmerized.
When visiting Halifax, a 7 year old must make a stop at the Freaky Lunchbox. This is a candy store that sells all the old penny candy (at an extraordinary price of course). Spencer filled his bag for the trip home. While he was looking around, I lectured Amelia on proper dental hygiene and the devastating affects of sugar on teeth. She assured me she understood and would never partake in such an indulgence (when she has teeth).
Our "down time" between excursions consisted of walks, reading books with Amelia, playing the keyboard (purchased by 2 naive people who never thought of how it would sound being played at full volume by every child that has since entered our home), making Amelia laugh to show her dimples and teaching her to roll over and crawl. With Spencer's tutelage, Amelia managed a couple roll overs and has continued to do them after he left. Crawling is not quite there yet but she can wiggle on her belly in a full 180 degree circle... progress!
7 year olds are past the stage of asking questions constantly. Instead, they absorb all conversation around them and then throw out these facts that may or may not have anything to do with what you are talking about. This is where I would love to make a list of what I learned from a 7 year old in 1 weekend but I don't know if I can remember all the facts he was throwing out at me. Let me see which of the billion stick out in my mind (and Spencer would likely correct me on one of these I am sure):
- babies blink 2x a minute where as adults blink 50+
- all numbers that you double become an even number
- pythons are constrictors who do not bite their prey but squeeze
- it is not a good idea to have more than 2 kids (he is the 2nd child to tell me this...hmmm)
- when planning parties, it is best to invite all your friends and THEN see how many people it adds up to (coming from the child who is allowed to invite 7 kids to his birthday party next month)
Exhaustion aside, it was amazing to see Amelia's development over the weekend. She didn't take her eyes off Spencer once and she seemed bound and determined to keep up with him! Sending them off on the train was just another reminder of how much we wish we were closer to all our family. Until that happens, weekends like these are extra special to us. Next time he comes to visit, I may have to put some sleepy time tea on his breakfast menu just so I can keep up!
 |
| Spencer and Amelia after reading a book and time for lights out! Note: Amelia is exhausted. Spencer looks like he is ready to take on the world. |
 |
| Kiddies playing the piano. That is my hand on the volume button. Just sayin! |
 |
| Amelia with her Auntie Tonya and cousin Spencer. |
 |
| ...cousins - enough said. |
 |
| I tried to offer Castor as a parting gift but alas he is still here. |
No comments:
Post a Comment