Now that he's five.

Every year I've blogged my observations about Swee'Pea just before his birthday.  I have so enjoyed looking back on my previous four posts and seeing what a difference each and every year makes in the life of this little person I'm so proud to call my son.  I'm a little late on this year's post, but here it is none the less.  It truly brings me great joy living life with this little one, and I'm so excited to see what the next year has in store for him and us.

Now that you're five...

You are the sweetest little boy I have ever met.  You always tell me that I'm beautiful.  You come up to be out of nowhere to kiss my forehead or hug me tightly or just tell me that you're happy I'm your mommy.  It fills my heart with joy just being around you.

You are incredibly observant.  You catch onto everything that is going on around you and you never want to miss a thing.  You are curious and inquisitive and sometimes a bit of a busy-body.  I hope you never lose that sense of wonder.

You will talk, talk, talk, talk off the ear of anyone who will listen.  And even those who won't listen.  I've actually had to ask you (on more than one occasion) to please stop talking and give me some rest.  And after acting dejected for a moment or two you move right on and just keep talking to yourself.

You are getting braver at meeting new people.  Of not shying away behind my back at the park.  Of walking up to people and saying, "Hi, what is your name?  Would you like to play?"  This is continuously a work in progress with you.  The reaching out.  The leaving your comfort zone.  The realizing that you don't always have to be so gosh-darn independent.

Now that you're five...

You have a crazy-big vocabulary.  Sometimes it cracks me up to hear you use such grown-up language but I realize I've always talked to you as if you are a little adult, so why shouldn't you talk like one?  Some of your favorite things to say are:

"Well, actually..."
"I'm going to need a little bit of privacy."
"I have really got something important to tell you!"
"Seriously.  I am serious."
"Oh my goodness, I cannot believe that just happened."

You still struggle to form certain sounds with ease, and even though you are at an age now where I really should be correcting you, it is just too adorable to fix at the moment.

Like:
"Mom, I kweep on doing this and it isn't working."
"It is Octover."
"Dat is so cool."
"I need to put on my jress." 
(your word for clothes)

You are all kinds of hilarious.  You crack me up all the time.  You have the corny jokes of a used-car dealer, the bad dance moves of a white girl, and a handful of facial expressions that literally kill me every time I see them.  You wear your emotions on your sleeve.  Good and bad.  You are pretty even tempered (like your father) but can have been known to have a really good two-hour long emotional break down every few months when you are just beyond over exhausted (like your mother).

You are so active and love doing sports and activities.  You just finished soccer season and were excited to immediately begin gymnastics.  You love being involved and we love supporting you in your activities.  I can't wait to watch you rush out on a high school field or court some day.  It has been so fun watching your progress and improve as a little athlete.

Now that you're five...

You are hungry for knowledge.  You always want to know "why, why, why?!"  You need answers.  You search them out.  This has been one of the best parts about home-schooling you.  You are literally a sponge, soaking up every bit of knowledge I can offer.  It is simply amazing working with you.

You retain information like nobody's business.  Sometimes it shocks me how much you remember from so long ago.  You remember important things like facts about animals and science, but also the most random tid bits of useless information.  You are, 100%, your father's child when it comes to this.

You like to be right.  You hate to be wrong.  If you ask us a question and we give you the answer you will automatically say, "Oh, I was thinking that was the answer!"  It drives us nuts.  And it has been something we are really working on.  To let you know it is okay to be wrong... it is okay not to know... But it is hard for you.  Being humbled.  Being unsure.  And I get it.  You are 100% my child when it comes to this.

You are really into things being fair.  And it really, really bothers you when they aren't.  And it breaks my heart for you.  Because I know life isn't fair.  And we've experienced that fact as a family first-hand.  And I'm sorry.  I'm sorry you live in a world that isn't fair.  I'm sorry there are injustices.  I'm sorry there are people who are mistreated.  And I'm sorry it feels like sometimes everyone but the deserving get the rewards.  I hope you never let this get you down.  I hope you keep your chin up and just keep moving on toward the great call of our lives... to love Jesus.  To serve Him.  To obey Him.  To honor Him in all that we do.

Now that you're five...

You understand saving for the bigger picture.  You are not a spender for frivolous items.  You will save and save and save until you get what you want.  You are determined to go on a Disney Cruise.  Even when we tell you we don't know if we can do it, that it just costs too much money.  You religiously save and put every tiny penny away in your piggy-pig and you always designate it as helping to pay for a cruise.  You get so excited seeing that little pile of coins grow.  You are willing to wait patiently for something you really want.  I pray this determination never goes away.

You are a huge fan of stuffed animals.  They all have names that were carefully chosen.  They are all tended to with love and care.  They are all part of our family.  They are all considered real live pets.  You even go as far as to rotate which ones get to go with you when you spend the night at your grandma or Mama2's house.  And all the rest have to fight to sleep in mommy's bed that night so they won't get lonely.

You could literally play by yourself for hours.  Your imagination is incredible.  You are constantly constructing Geotrax and wooden train track cities, building little Lego sets all by yourself, or working on a craft of some kind or another.  I always feel bad that we don't have another little one around here to entertain or play with you, but you never seem to mind and I'm so grateful for this independent spirit of yours.

You have a sense of adventure and are willing and ready to hop in the car and see the world, just like me.
But sometimes, you just want to hunker down at home and relax, just like daddy.

You hate eating most foods.
Meal time is a nightmare.
A nightmare I say.

You adore your Grandma Turbo.  And you beg all the time to spend the night at Mama2's.  And you adore each and every one of your cousins.  I am so beyond thrilled that your family is number one in your life.

Now that you're five...

You aren't my little baby anymore.  But you want to be.  And every night when you ask me to lay down with you for "just five minutes..." I do.  And I do it with joy and with sadness.  With joy that I have those last precious moments of the day with you.  To pray.  To talk.  To snuggle and take in your little boy smell.  And with sadness that these times are coming too quickly to an end.  You are no longer a little buddy that I can easily pick up and carry around with me.  You are long and gangly.  You have lost every bit of little-boy chubbiness in those sweet cheeks of yours.  You are a little man.  Too grown up for my liking.  And way too close to being a full-fledged kid for my liking.

I adore you, my sweet boy.
You are the answer to the prayer I'd had since I was a little girl.
You made me a mother.
And for that I'm forever grateful to you.
You are simply amazing.
And you steal my heart more and more with every passing day.
I'm am the luckiest lady on the face of this planet that I get to enjoy your company each and every day.
I am overjoyed and honored to be your mommy.

{all pictures by my amazing sister... thank you for capturing my sweet boy!}