The Days are Long, but the Years are Short

I look at our little guy and can't believe he is SEVEN. SEVEN. Say that out loud. SEVEN. It sounds old. Definitely school age. Definitely big. And getting bigger. Various things I've read tell me that seven is a MAGICAL year. They are older, more mature, focused, settled, calm, etc. Part of me is so excited about that - it sounds wonderful! (especially the calm part) But then... I look at him and his "baby" features are disappearing. I can hardly see the little boy he was (just yesterday, right?). I can now picture him at 10, maybe even 15. Watching him grow is exciting and oh-so scary. When I think back, it seems he hasn't changed all that much from 6. He still LOVES to read and is currently reading the Chronicles of Narnia series. Harry Potter is old news. We've moved on from reading & re-reading those books to other authors and series. In the past year, he has gravitated toward sports themed fiction, mystery, and historical books. I estimate that he reads 2 or 3 hours a day on school days, more on the weekends and days off. When he is not reading, he is playing with Matthew. The boys "race" and play various sports in the backyard (golf, football, baseball, tag, Hyperdash, etc.). One will usually cry, sometimes more than once, but the brothers are pretty good at working out their problems. Matthew likes to be Nicholas' shadow and we are reaching the age where N finds that annoying (unless he wants a playmate, then it is perfectly fine). During alone time, he is always sorting his baseball and football cards (some are his, others are Dad's cards from the 80s). He plays pretend games using each player's stats and even creates his own teams who compete against each other. While I couldn't believe he wanted to spend so much money on *SILLY LITTLE CARDS*, he loves those cards and it occupies him for hours! Nicholas is also in training to become a magician, after receiving a cool magic set for Christmas. School is interesting. Academically he is fine - we have no concerns & he continues to progress. Behavior is a problem. Not a big problem, but a problem nonetheless. He is "silly" and "disruptive" at school. Making people laugh is a new hobby & talking at all times is problematic. Ugh. Hoping this is a stage. I feel so helpless when I can't CONTROL his behavior or be a bug in his ear while he is at school. Guess this is part of letting go. Knowing he will make some great choices, and then some awful choices. I need to be ok with both. Emotionally, he is still my sweet boy. He still likes to snuggle and hang with his mom. I know that will (too soon) be ending, but for now, I'll give him a squeeze and enjoy my little seven year old!