The Big 5

Hey Mac-O! You are 5, and while you've always been a hand full, now, it's official! This year has been super-fun, and I have enjoyed watching you learn and grow and develop even more into the wonderful little boy that you are. 

You have had an amazing year! You got your yellow belt in your martial arts class in the spring. And then, you decided you would rather pursue other opportunities. So, in the fall, you took swim lessons. You did a great job, and with just a little more practice, you will be swimming the length of the pool all by yourself and jumping off the diving board. You are looking forward to working on your skills while we are on our cruise next week. You also learned how to ride a big boy bike, and I'm sure it won't be long before we can take the training wheels off and watch you take off. Athletically speaking, you constantly impress us. You are one of the fastest runners I have ever seen, and you are not limited by your footwear. I have seen you beat half of Weston's football team, all of whom are at least two years older than you, while wearing boots, flip-flops and even barefooted. Running is not only something you love to do, it's something you need to do. You just can't help yourself. We signed our whole family up for a Color Run 5K in March, and you are so excited and look for opportunities to practice. You are also about to start playing basketball. I can't wait to see you tear up the court!

But there is more to you than athletics. This year, you officially joined a CC class and became the third student to enroll in Watts Homeschool. You love the time you spend at CC with your friends, and you often amaze us with the information you are able to recall.  You seem to especially enjoy the presentations each week, and you have regaled us all time and again with your "Wide Mouth Frog" story. You have learned how to read this year, and you excel at it. You seem to have an intuitive understanding of words and how they work, and you have completed quite a few reading posters. You have also been working on writing and numbers, and are often eager to sit in with your older siblings, trying to pick up some of what they are working on as well.

In the fall, our family acquired a very sweet little kitty, who instantly became your very best friend. You two were inseparable when you were outside playing. That cat would even get up on the trampoline with you guys and happily let you bounce him around. Unfortunately, when we went out to the ranch at Thanksgiving, Rocky decided to seek companionship elsewhere. His departure sadden you, but you were convinced that he had simply followed us to the ranch, and you were certain you had seen him at the feed store in Iraan. When I asked you if you really thought he could walk all that way, you looked at me like I was crazy and said, "Well, he probably had to take a few breaks!" For weeks afterward, you would keep an eye out for Rocky, because you just knew he was going to come home. And then, yesterday, you ran in from outside and ecstatically proclaimed, "The good news is, I found Rocky!" You were so confident, that I couldn't help but feel that it might indeed be him. Upon inspection, though, I found only an armadillo, digging around under a bush. You were disappointed for an instant, but then quickly found your enthusiasm again for the new adventure, which had just presented itself. You chased that armadillo around all over the yard, and when he escaped into his burrow, you staged a stakeout. You resumed your watch this afternoon, and with the help of your older siblings, actually caught the thing. I believe Weston actually nabbed the critter, but you assured me that he couldn't have done it unless you had found it for him.

Recently, you have become very interested in cooking, and it's fun to have you helping out in the kitchen. You even have some of your own equipment, which you are very proud to offer when a meal needs to be prepared. And, I didn't know until a couple of weeks ago that the sound a spatula makes is "Spatch, Spatch, Spatch." You actually help with a great many things around the house, and you are always happy to flex your muscles when there is heavy lifting to be done.

You are such an amazing little boy, brimming with life and passion, and I am so thankful that I have the opportunity to be your mom! Dad and I are so very proud of you, and we are so excited that you are five! I'm looking forward to more fun and adventures with you this next year. I love you so very much!

Love,
Mom