Donovan's Birthday Update
Donovan Birthday Update
Donovan is 8 years old today! And he is just the sweetest guy. He loves people and his sisters and his family so much. He cuddles us still and asks for lots of “uggies” (hugs). He does that so often the girls have started using that word, so we all love it. He tries hard to help people be kind and happy. For example, playing at the Discovery Lab with Maia, another kid there was being mean to her. He talked to them about it, told them it made Maia sad and to please stop. And by the end of the visit, he was playing with that kid and made friends. He is just so wonderful.
He’s turned into quite the reader this year, and has a chapter book going all the time, and needs to read at least a little before bed. Sometimes he reads until he’s sleepy the next day. Well, he comes by that honestly. He’s read a ton of Serenity’s rainbow magic fairy books, Pokemon chapter books, Magic Tree House books, and A-Z mysteries. I was amazed when he read the Wings of Fire books. They are really big books but he just plowed through the first four. And he read the graphic novels too!
He also still LOVES games. He asked for a magnetic chess set so he could play chess anywhere and Eric was so excited he actually went online to order it immediately. DZ goes with Eric to the game shop Covenant as often as he can. He plays Destiny as well as adults. He went to a regional this year and went 4-3 against serious players. He is always up to play board games and video games. He plays Skylanders as often as he can talk his sisters into playing with him, and he still loves Animal Jam.
He is so much like Eric! They both love games and sports =)
He played baseball both Fall and Spring this year, and seems to love it most of the time. They switched to machine pitch in the spring, so that is taking a lot of work to be able to hit the ball consistently. Plus kids are real catchers now, and that’s not easy. He gets hit by the ball sometimes, and although it can hurt he’s still playing! He’s interested in trying so many sports it will be interesting to see if he continues with baseball. He wants climbing lessons and swimming lessons, and he’s interested in tennis, basketball, and soccer as well.
He had to deal with a lot of allergy issues this year. He’s always had a tendency to develop a cough whenever he gets sick, and he’d get sick every fall and early spring and need to be propped up at nights to breathe. Well, his pediatrician put him on daily Claritin, and then added several more medicines to manage it. At one point in the year, he couldn’t seem to hear us. We’d have to repeat ourselves often, and even the teacher commented on it. We went to the audiologist and she said that his hearing was perfect once you got past the fluid in his ears, and to stick with the medicines and see if that helped dry it up. We’ve visited an allergist to explore some more options to help him as well. I’m grateful for the inhaler and the other meds as it seems like he doesn’t get sick nearly as often, or as bad. Breathing problems are just horrible.
He loves school. He loves being around people, and he loves learning new things. He’s turned into a serious reader this year. He’s read nearly all the Rainbow Magic Fairy books in Serenity’s collection, dozens of Pokemon chapter books, and I’m especially excited about the Wings of Fire series! Those are really big books and he just flew through them. It’s so great so see him enjoying reading! His teachers just praise his sweet nature and his hard work. He’s a really good friend and I just love that about him. I am so lucky to be Donovan’s Mama!!!
Monthly photos =)
Ted’s birthday dinner 2018
July 2018
August 2018. The kids loved the Back to School Bubble party!
August 2018! DZ loves games! At a sleepover with Grandma he always plays Mexican Train =)
Donovan took apart an iPAD for a school project. He learned all about the parts of an iPAD and presented it to the class! He was so excited to be the first Scholar of the Week!
September 2018: Pumpkin Patch Field Trip!
Snuggly Guy =)
Imaginary Creature Day! Donovan still loves being Umbreon when he gets the chance!
Donovan did baseball in the Fall as well! His team won the playoffs =)
We all got Star Wars costumes for DZ’s Star Wars party, and we wore them to Halloween as planned! I made DZ a jetpack to enhance his costume and Maia needed some tools for BB8
October 2018 Best Friends at the Jogathon
November 2018 Trophy!
November 2019 Gathering Place! We all LOVE the Gathering Place! It’s amazing!
December 2018 Alex and Siqi took the kids to the climbing gym! Donovan has been begging to go back and get climbing lessons since!
Christmas December 2018! Donovan riding in the sleigh I built using the plasma car, wearing his traditional reindeer jammies and his new Wild Kratts power suit. It was such a fun day!
December 2018 Piano Recital! He did such a good job and loved having an audience! He was ready for a break from piano after this though =)
Sweet siblings in the cute outfits Ann got them =)
We had a Winter Lego party for DZ’s class! They made snowflake ornaments out of legos, polar bear habitats, and did LOTS of Lego Challenges! DZ made nearly all the challenges after everyone left. This is his interpretation of a wreath =)
January 2019 I gave the kids a scrapbook with all my favorite Dress Up moments for Christmas… and that has led to some new epic costumes. I just love the Dragon Who Loves Tacos =)
DZ found and started sleeping with his baby blanket.
January 2019 He was Hufflepuff until he sorted into Ravenclaw at the library’s Harry Potter party. =)
Donovan made this taco pillow with a kit I found at Target! He sleeps with it every night, he loves it!
DZ got to play the part of the USchool Student in the drama festival this year! He had a LOT of lines! =) He was so diligent about practicing!
March 2019 Hiking on Turkey Mountain with Ann and John. Just like his Daddy, sticks are the best toy =)
April 2019 Bunny Hunt =) Donovan LOVES the bunny hunt and he has his set of favorites to find.
DZ was THRILLED to finally get batting gloves! He jumped up and down!
April 2019 Donovan read the Wings of Fire! The first four at least, and these are big books! I love them too and was thrilled when he read it. Also, he loves this zebra onesie pajama Carson passed down to him.
He loved the little lizard in the petting zoo, it ran right up his arm to his shoulder and he just giggled!
April 2019 The renaissance fair was a blast and we didn’t lose our knight!
Still loves Tigers =)
DZ studied Mongolia for Creative Producers. He built a cool 3-D yurt puzzle, made a bactrian camel out of perler beads, and made a bow and arrow out of twigs and pipe cleaners. He also put in a horse and a dinosaur egg since the first dinosaur egg was found in Mongolia.
He was SO excited about his new shirt and to see I put Nessie in the yard.
Dragons Fire! Dragons were such an appropriate party theme. Not only does he love Wings of Fire, but he loves the books Dragons Love Tacos and he dressed up as that for several book fair days, and his baseball team is the dragons!
And back to Ted’s for dinner on his actual birthday! He wanted that more than donuts! He began and ended his year in a sombrero at Ted’s =)
