Happy Birthday Levi!!

(I wrote this yesterday, on his birthday, but didn't get it posted until today!)

Today my middle child is 7. I have to say, it seems like I’ve had him for 7 years! Yes, the time flew by, but mostly because I can’t remember much of his infancy. I think the whole addition of a second child just threw me for a loop, but I honestly cannot remember. He was such an angelic little child, though. Not in behavior, mind you, but physically. He was just beautiful, and still is. His hair was flaxen gold, and his eyes bright clear blue, and he had the most animated smile. He was a pill, though, from very early. He slept well, and went to sleep on his own, as we had learned from our mistakes with Jake to teach him that from the beginning. But he would test me long before he was old enough to figure out that he should! When he could just barely talk, with maybe a 15 word vocabulary, he would mutter under his breath when he got in trouble. If we got onto him, he would walk away muttering, with a scowl on his face. While we knew he was being rebellious, we had no way to prove it, because he wasn’t old enough to talk, let alone curse his parents. Then one day, we finally made out the words from the little angels mouth. He was saying ‘stupid!’ Now, Jake was not allowed to say it, and we never called any person by that word. I know I call THINGS stupid when they aren’t yielding to my will, so maybe that’s where he got it. But how could he know what it meant? We were flabbergasted!! You had to laugh, though, at his gall. We also had to start punishing him for it, now that we were certain of his disrespect!

Levi, the middle child, is the pot-stirrer. If we have a morning of problems, he is smack in the middle of them. He’s the instigator 95% of the time. He is FULL of energy, laughs all day, and cannot sit still. When Jake and Luke were still under a year old, they would sit and listen to short books. Levi had nothing to DO with books until he was almost 4, I think. He just didn’t have time for such things that required you to stay in one place for that length of time.

Levi is also the most tender of all our boys. He gets his feelings hurt more than the others, and he is the first to tear up and cry if you talk about people or pets dying. He misses you before you leave, and is always happy to see you. He also tells us he loves us the most. Not that the others don’t, but he’s very verbal with his love. When we have done something to please him, he will smile sweetly, hug us, and say, “Mom, I love you. You’re the best mom ever.” It’s really touching.

So, he’s definitely an all-around boy. Tough and tender. Sweet and naughty. And that is Levi. And he’s 7!!