Another year has come and gone. And though we try so hard to slow down time, it just keeps going faster. It's not easy to come to terms with the fact that as time keeps flying, you're getting older by the minute. On this day, you're not just a minute or two older, but you've made the giant leap from age four to age five. It's just a year, but going from four to five means so much is changing. You've aged out of the "preschool" category and can, for the most part, be considered "school aged". If you weren't our last, we'd maybe be celebrating more of what that change of status entails....more independence, more maturity, and more of a glimpse into who you're growing up to be. Those things are all just great, but it is still not easy to accept that our baby is a baby no more.
In the past year, you have grown and changed so much. Physically speaking, you're still a string bean, but you've shot up enough inches to make buying long, but skinny pants a nearly impossible task. You've gained coordination and strength...perhaps faster than either of your siblings did. This past spring, you decided one day that it was time to take your training wheels off and just a few tries later, you were riding away. Around that same time, you were climbing, flipping, swinging, and monkey barring all over the local parks without an ounce of help. This summer, you practiced relentlessly with swimming on your own. If it wasn't for your overly paranoid mother, you'd probably be doing it all the time, but floaties are a must if you want her to stay sane! You love to play all the sports that your siblings have played and seem to have some pretty good natural athleticism. You'd probably be happy to be on the field playing instead of watching, but balancing three kids' activities is just not something we've mastered yet.
Aside from physically changing, you've grown in a lot of other areas too. You are super eager to read and write....which has definitely become a favorite part of this phase with you and your siblings. You're constantly asking how to spell things and you write all sorts of notes and messages. You're starting to master some sight words and have begun reading some beginner level books. You, however, claim that you don't read books. You think if it's not long, with many words on a page (like the books that Caleb and Leah read), it doesn't count. Oh, how we hope you will one day learn to be proud of yourself instead of playing the comparison game with your brother and sister.
Indeed, having older siblings plays a huge role in who you are today. How you play, what you say, and who you are is so much different from what we experienced with our first two five-year-olds. We love that you love them and want to be involved in everything they're doing, but sometimes it makes things quite challenging. It's only a matter of time before someone plays just a bit too rough, or says something a bit too harsh, before you quickly revert back to being the younger sibling who just can't handle all of that big kid stuff! Your retaliation is fierce and you're constantly stuck between wanting to play nicely and defending yourself in survival mode.
It's been nice, however, to have Caleb and Leah gone for most of the day at school. You have time to be you. You aren't being bossed around or antagonized. You watch shows that you like without being told they're for babies. You play happily alone or enjoy playdates with kids who aren't three to four years older than you! It's brought a sense of calm into our days and allows for some much needed one-on-one time. It's definitely given you a chance to figure out who you are.
And, who you are, is just an amazingly wonderful boy. You still have the ability to make just about anyone laugh. You're full of confidence and your personality is big. You're a lover and snuggler, but you're rough and tough too. You're goofy and silly, but can be quite serious and deep. Your baby face, with more freckles than we can count, can light up even the darkest and dreariest days. And, though there are days when you are our biggest challenge, there isn't a single day that goes by where we aren't incredibly grateful for the blessing that you are to this family. We are so thankful that God chose us to be your parents.
Love,
Daddy and Mommy
