Capturing Ryan and Kyle's Personalities

We are so blessed to have Ryan and Kyle as our children.  They bring so much joy and love to our family.  This Blog entry captures their unique personalities as they turn 7.  They have become fine, young boys and we couldn't be more proud of them.

Ryan-

It is funny how Ryan and Kyle's interaction in the womb as Baby A (Ryan) and Baby B (Kyle) provided insight on how they might be outside in the world.  Ryan was always full of movement, taking up majority of the space in the womb.  Even today he is an always active energizer bunny. Any spare moment is dedicated to playing basketball either inside or outside.  He is extremely determined, very detailed, and a perfectionist.  Once his mind is set on something he is stubborn to let it go. Ryan will try, try, try until he finally nails it and this translates to both academics and athletics.  He balances his competitive side with an extremely sweet, loving, and humble personality.  He is modest and quiet as he excels and is very shy in groups.  Once he gets to know you, he can be extremely goofy.   

Ryan's memory is phenomenal.   His reading level is years beyond his grade, he grasps the concept of multiplication and division while learning addition and subtraction.  He even memorized all the states and capitals after studying the map on a road trip to Florida.  Ryan's penmanship is impeccable (once again the perfectionist shines through).

Ryan's hobbies are sports, sports, and more sports.  He spends endless hours playing basketball in the driveway, keeping score as he plays against himself.  More recently, he plays 2-on-2 with middle school boys in the neighborhood and because of his endless hours of practice, can keep up with them.  He also loves football and "pajama" baseball (drive by Saturday mornings to see the boys playing baseball in their pajamas...a favorite!).

His favorite TV is anything sports.  Jason is excited to have a son so excited to watch all sporting events with.  He is also a big fan of the LEGO movie, Planes, Cars, and Cars 2.  As for board games he enjoys (surprise) NFL Rush Zone and chess.

Ryan remains a picky eater.  A favorite meal for him would be cheese pizza or a butter sandwich.  We force him to eat a fruit and veggie every meal but time at the table can be drawn out, taking an hour to finish.  On the flip side, he can eat both breakfast and dessert remarkably fast.

At the age of 7, these boys still love their stuffed animals.  Ryan's best buddy right now is Orange-a-saurus, his orange dinosaur from Disney World.  Ryan's best buddies from school are Rodrigo, Hammie, and Kyle.  In the neighborhood, he can be found playing sports with Nick.  Another major highlight is spending time with cousins Ian and Cole (and now Andrew).   Ryan still loves to cuddle and both boys promise to cuddle with mom until they turn 18. 

Extracurricular activities this past year have included basketball, tee ball, soccer, swim lessons, Bible Study Fellowship, and piano lessons.

Kyle -

As mentioned,  Baby A (Ryan) and Baby B (Kyle) as "wombmates" foreshadowed their personalities today.  Kyle was always squeezed into a corner, allowing Ryan to "rule" the womb.  Even today, Kyle is the most kind and compassionate boy, always putting others before himself.  He has the warmest heart and is very sensitive.  This selflessness is a blessing to those around him, but his gentle heart can also be hurt very easily and he is often in tears about situations that wouldn't phase most children.  Recently, a discussion about the food chain brought him to tears and his heart ached with sadness.  Kyle is very social, outgoing, and is full of questions.  He is also our little evangelist; he has the biggest heart for Jesus and wants to share God's love with others.  Generally, Kyle is very easy going and typically allows others to go first.  He also has a conscience and confesses any minor wrong doing.  These qualities resulted on Kyle NOT ONCE moving his clip down in first grade...he can always be found doing the right thing and making great choices. 

Kyle is extremely creative which can be seen in his cleaver and thoughtful answers to questions, artwork, or LEGO projects.  He is good at sports but is non-competitive (much like his mother) and really enjoyed the recent soccer season.  He loves drawing, art projects, making creations out of boxes, taking crazy pictures with the camera, and working with his LEGOS.  While he is very social, he also has no issues hanging by himself as he gets distracted in his own creative projects.  Another favorite pastime is hanging out with his cousins.   Kyle has grown so much academically in first grade.  Something really clicked midyear and we are extremely proud of him.

While his exposure is very limited, Kyle loves watching TV and playing games on the computer.  He earns stars in order to play games and he is extremely willing to do additional chores if it results in 20 minutes of "Cool Math Games" computer time.  As for movies, he is not very picky, but enjoys the LEGO movie, Turbo, and Planes.  American Ninja Warrior is his favorite TV show.  As for board games Kyle will play -- provided it doesn't drag on too long -- and can be found playing Angry Birds, Stratego, Freeze Tag, and Chess.

At the age of 7, Kyle loves stuffed animals.  Kyle has many favorites and is always wanting more from stores and garage sales.  Kyle is extremely social, and wants to be friends with everyone.  On the playground at school he can be found floating around either playing sports with the boys or just hanging out with the girls, depending on the day.  Likewise, in the neighborhood, he is found playing with everyone and is so gentle and kind to even the toddlers.  Kyle is always asking for a cuddle and an arm scratch.  More recently, the boys can be found sprawled out in bed sleeping without shirts on, just like their daddy! (they think this is pretty cool).   

Kyle will eat almost anything.  We have figured out he is lactose intolerant which has made his tummy aches less frequent this year.   Like his brother, breakfast foods are a favorite. 

Extracurricular activities this past year have included basketball, tee ball, soccer, swim lessons, Bible Study Fellowship, and piano lessons.

Both Ryan and Kyle get along remarkably well.  They are by no means reliant on each other.  Although they were in the same class, they typically were doing different things with different people.  They work well together when they are asked and both list one another as one of their best friends.  This brotherly friendship and love just melts mom and dad's hearts!