When I was trying to figure out what to write about for Pete's Eighth Birthday post (which is today by 
the way), I came across this article from Parents Magazine listing 44 things every kid should do before they turn eight. I'm not sure when it was first posted but they rounded up a variety of people and asked them to share the greatest moments of childhood. I thought it would be neat to see how many Pete has checked off the list on her way to turning eight.
1. Learn to manage your allowance, and think of the best ways to use it.
Check - while she doesn't get an allowance each week, she does manage her money she has received for birthdays and holidays and spends it wisely, at the dollar bin at Target and for other assorted treasures!
2. Run in the sprinklers. And make sure at least one of your parents runs with you.
Check - and I have photos to prove it
3. Take part in a march for peace. Or something else you believe in. I recommend making a colorful sign to march with.
Semi-Check - Pete probably doesn't remember doing it as she was 2!
4. Ride a roller coaster.
Check - many, many times!
5. Play tag in the rain.
Need to work on this, hard to believe but she does not like to play in the rain.
6. Watch tadpoles hatch into frogs.
Check, and praying manthias too.
7. Catch and eat your own fish.
Half-check - Pete has caught many fish but never eaten any and I doubt she would.
8. Learn a bit about astronomy and observe the stars.
Check - each year Pete and I get up in the middle of the night and try to catch the Perseid Meteor Shower. We have seen a few falling stars but this past year it was too cloudy.
9. Go to one -- or more -- major-league ball games.
Semi-check - Pete has been to countless minor leage baseball games. We'll need to try and catch a major league game soon.
10. Read at least one chapter book from start to finish.
Check - Captain Underpants and The Fairly Odd School books are a big favorite around here and she often finishes one or two a day if she has the time.
11. Suffer a major disappointment and learn to live with it.
Hmm...I'm going to guess that she might feel like not being an only child is a major disappointment and she is learning to live with it!
12. Experiment to find out how many different ways you can squirt water out of your mouth.
Check - I'm pretty sure this one has been covered and will be covered again and again.
13. Learn how to ride a bike. I'm talking a two-wheeler without training wheels and extra points for
gears.
Check on riding a bike, no extra points yet.
14. Travel to the moon. Nothing is impossible before you're 8.
Pete tells me that she hasn't yet, but she would like to and she read a book about it at school.
15. Get exactly the haircut you want -- not the one your parents want.
Check - she usually tells our hair dresser how she wants her hair cut.
16. Make a yarn pom-pom. It's very zen and very soothing.
Not yet
17. earnLay igPay atinLay.
No, but she tells me she would like to learn how
18. Make up a recipe, cook it, and name it. (Bad example: "Anchovy Peanut Butter Surprise.")
No, but she would really like to do this one!
19. Write a song, then sing it for three people and one animal. It could be a stuffed animal. But they tend to be more critical than live ones are.
She says no but I think she has as we make up songs all the time.
20. Raise money for something or someone you care about.
Check - on her 5th birthday Pete collected donations for the animals at a local nature center.
21. Befriend a kid whom others are making fun of. 
Yes and she told me that sometimes she is the kid whom others are making fun of and this just breaks my heart. When I get the name of the kids, I'm going to go beat them up.
22. Realize your parents are just some old kids trying to act grown up.
She says we are not kids!
23. Learn how to pour a bowl of cereal and turn on the TV. (So your parents can sleep an extra 30 minutes on weekends.)
Check, Check, Check! We love this about our Pete!
24. Realize that you should never outgrow hugging your parents.
Check
25. Figure out how to tell a joke that doesn't involve poo, pee, or butts. 
Check - oh yea, she can do this! What is red, white and black? A sunburned penguin!
26. Discover that bleeding owies can make you look tough even though they hurt briefly.
No, she is not so sure about this one.
27. Learn to give a good handshake. No bone crushers or limp fish.
Check
28. Hold the door for someone at the mall.
Check - she does this a lot.
29. Clean up your own room.
Check
30. Learn how to make lemonade -- from real lemons.
Not yet, but she would like to learn how and so would her sister. Although I doubt Pete would drink it.
31. Experience the strange and wonderful feeling of wandering around one's house alone, very late at night.
Check - although Pete says no, she is often our late night wanderer and comes to our room at night!
32. Break up a fight between two younger children.
Check
33. Find the perfect hiding place in your bedroom for a secret object. This might not be so handy at age 8 but will be very important later, so it's best to find it now.
Check - and she will not tell me where it is!
34. Eavesdrop and take notes. Tip: Pressing the rim of an empty glass against the wall will help you hear what is going on in the neighboring room.
Check - she just informed me she has done this before at school and she liked what she heard.
35. Start a collection of something. It could be anything -- model cars, baseball cards, sand from different areas.
Check - all those poor butterflies...
36. Try at least five different types of food -- Chinese, Greek, Mexican -- you pick the other two.
Chinese - check, Mexican - check, Italian - check, Greek - no, American - yes!
37. Make a good paper airplane. Then fly it 20 feet or more.
Check
38. Read a newspaper with a parent.
Check
39. Look through a microscope and a telescope.
Check, check.
40. Help serve or deliver food to the needy on Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Not yet, but she wants to do that next year.
41. Hand-write thank-you notes for birthday and holiday gifts.
Check
42. Open a savings account.
Check
43. When greeting an adult, learn to look him in the eye and introduce yourself.
Check
44. Make sure you've had enough piggy-back rides.
Not nearly enough yet!
I think it is safe to say that our Pete is off to a great start for year eight. I still can't believe that the baby girl who started us on this adventure is now eight. Eight seems so old. And while Pete totally gives us a run for our money at times, she is the kindest, sweetest kid who loves nature, animals and still wants to cuddle up with her Moms. Love you lots kid.
For those who want to take a look back at previous birthdays, I have links below to birthdays three through seven (one and two are archived away in a word document).
Seven
Six
Five
Four
Three