Pete's 7th Birthday

This was the first birthday Pete was really, truly excited about. His last party was his fourth birthday party; his fifth was planned but then Covid hit. He told us a few days before his party, as we were doing the bedtime routine, that he "had a fizzy, sparkling feeling in his chest" and wanted to know if we ever had that. He was really excited about his party, at the Nature Preserve, and also about his gifts, and getting Mexican food on the night of his actual birthday (he requested queso). Thursday night he got his first present--a terrarium to host real live anoles we catch in the yard! We're not ready to make the commitment to a lizard we can't let go yet. On the morning of his birthday Wuwu and Poppy brought over Krispy Kreme donuts and then he was celebrated all day in school. Then on Saturday it was his party! Besides the terrarium (we walked into the pet store planning to get a small set-up, not the elaborate situation we walked out with) he also got a keyboard. After cycling through tennis, golf, and soccer, we've landed on an extracurricular activity he likes, piano. But like the lizard, we're in starter mode for now, though apparently it's easy to buy used pianos because no one plays anymore. Anyway, Happy Birthday, Pete! I can't believe you were born 7 years ago. You aren't always easy, but you are always, always interesting. Your favorite thing to do is be outside. If we left you at a creek you would spend all day there, happily, as long as there were snacks (you like bringing snacks to parks). You love lizards and bugs and snakes (we have a lot of talks about not picking up a snake until we can identify it). You are reading, though you're not terribly interested in it. Your favorite friend at school is Tyler; your favorite friend at home is JJ, and Jack across the street. You are mainly very kind to Hankie, though you do like to torment him occasionally. You ask so many questions, and are curious about how the world works. And you're recently a vegetarian--you put the eating animals thing together and have stopped eating meat completely. You love to draw, and can spend hours and hours doing that and making other creations. When you were a tiny baby your dada and I would wonder who you would be, and now we know.

Pete with his friends. Cuinn, Caleb (both from Cary Woods), JJ (whom he's known since they were in the one-year-old class at Grace), Jack (from across the street), and Bodhi (from his Montessori days). There was a reptile presentation that was loooong and too in-depth but the kids mainly paid attention. Then there was a hike and pizza and cupcakes! Note to self: It is very easy to not throw a party at one's house.

These are out of order, but that night they went to the Gogue to see a ballet of the Little Prince. Mat and I have never stepped foot inside the Performing Arts Center, but Pete and Hank have gone several times! Hank was very moved by the ballet (he called it a movie) and kept talking about it. This past weekend we drove by the building and didn't stop and he cried.

Margot. Pete is calling them all Margot, even though they're males (I've learned how to sex them, because we want to get a female, which is basically impossible because they hide, and mate them so we can have anole eggs), because JJ and Paul's dog is named Margot.

I'm seeing the wisdom in getting a snake. Anoles eat crickets every day, because they don't hold onto fat well (the smaller the lizard, the more often they need to eat). A medium-sized snake, on the other hand, eats once a month!

At school! I actually volunteered this day and saw him. He was SO proud. He got to be the line leader all day.

The one (bad) picture I got of the boys and Mat. Wuwu and Poppy and I were there, though our presence went undocumented.

The never-ending reptile presentation

With Bodhi and and anole Pete caught