Kyle is ALMOST EIGHT!

Kyle turns 8 on Wednesday - the 23rd of July. I can't believe he is almost 8. I am making some invitations to his baptism on August 2nd, and decided to take his photos in his suit for the occasion. I thought since I would have him prepped and ready, I would just do his 8 year old birthday shoot as well! Kyle has a hard time when I won't buy his school pictures, but he's always so busy and so uncooperative, I don't normally take his pictures. Okay, I'll be honest, he's just not as cute as Haley is right now!

I love Kyle! Poor kid is in the stage where you have adult teeth in a little body. He's a good boy. It's tough being the oldest. I speak from experience. You're expected to do so much and so much is expected of you. I try to remember that he's still just a kid, but with 3 younger siblings, he really helps so much! I love his freckles. I love his bright blue eyes. I love how sensitive is, and yes, I love his temper. He is always begging to have "family movie nights" and do anything with the family. Kyle is a smart smart kid. He has always had a huge vocabulary, and miraculously he knows in what context to use that vocabulary. People ask us all the time how we teach our kids big words. I don't know. The only thing I think may have helped, is we never speak "baby talk" to our kids. If our kids say something incorrectly, we correct them. I HATE bad grammar, and am constantly correcting that as well. It's definitely my pet peeve, and I don't think there is any excuse for it. The best time to correct grammar is now, when they're NOT applying for jobs later in life. (okay, off my high horse - I think I get it from my Grandparents/Parents. I come from a background of many many teachers)

Just a little example of Kyle's...hmmmm...what to call it? Observations?
Jake and Kristin were arguing in the car. Okay, let's be honest, Jake was pestering, Kristin was screaming. Kyle told them to stop. He said, "you need to settle it like Obama and McCain." At this point I have my ears on "listening as hard as I can" mode - trying not to giggle. He explains to them, that if one thinks differently than the other, then they discuss it, or let their "people" tell them what to think. That was the jist of it, but he seriously talked to Jake and Kristin for 5 minutes on his McCain/Obama logic. It got them to be quiet at the very least. Seriously, I don't think we've ever sit down and discussed the candidacy with the kids. I'm sure he heard an earful over the Fourth of July. David - you missed a good discussion/Michael taking on the Peterson fam.

So, our plans got changed the other night, so the whole family headed out to do Kyle's 8 year old photos. I decided to do them at the Jordan River Temple. All my kids think they're photographers now. Telling me how we have to get flowers behind, or a bit of the fountain, etc...I had to tell them that I knew what I was doing...So, here is what I got. I've been figuring out some awesome new tricks in photoshop. So, a few of these are texturized, I was just messing around, but you'll have to let me know what you think...I tried to get Kyle as Kyle. Not too posed. He got a little sunbearn on his upper cheeks yesterday, so in some photos I tried to photoshop them out, but I didn't want it to look too plasticy. Troy kept pretending to put gum in my hair to get Kyle to giggle. AND saying Kyle's favorite line from the Pink Panther: Can I see your big brass bowls. (Said in an english accent - you see why an 8 year old would find it funny)

I love you Kyle! I'm excited for you to start THIRD *gasp* grade! I love you!