milestones...

Today my son turns 6. There's something about six, isn't there? I can’t believe it, I can barely handle it. Every year on this day I wonder why kids can’t just stay small for a little bit longer. I used to be able to talk myself out of that kind of thinking, reminding myself there’s no way I want to still be changing diapers or going through bottle feeding or needing a stroller… But this year, I’m not coming up with any of those things.


He’s pretty fun right now. He can feed himself. He can get into the fridge to get himself a juice box. He still needs help brushing his teeth and hasn’t started losing them yet. He has really cool friends and genuinely cares about them. He’ll still watch Sprout on television, but he started to like cartoons even I can handle watching over and over again. He has his own iTouch, which keeps him occupied when I need him to be. He likes learning how to read but loves being read to. He’s super smart, but not a smart-ass. It’s a pretty good age. Why is it that going up from 5 to 6 seems so momentous?

My friends and I were talking about this, and we think a big part of the difference is that after size 5T is just 6. I mean, I'm sure there are some 6T's out there, but not that I've ever seen. He will no longer be anywhere near toddler-hood, even the clothes know it. While Kindergarten is a huge step, it's also precious. First grade is first grade, and that's what happens when you turn 6 (hopefully), and somehow it seems more like the beginning of ‘real school’.

Yesterday was H's last time in the play area at Cafe Sip -n- Play, which has been our home for so long now. Now that he’s 6 he's too "old" to be in the play area now (although, let's face it, he's been too big to be in there really for quite some time - all the mommies of little ones look at him like he's King Kong ready to eat their babies). It was emotional for me - I had to fight off the stinging of tears before we left.

Then again, he's brighter, faster (well, kind of, athleticism still seems to avoid him), doing things like reading and writing, and becoming an even more impressive little artist than ever before. The last few days he’s been drawing everything he likes (Star Wars, Harry Potter, Ninjago Legos, etc.) cast as “Angry Birds”, which he claims he’s ‘obsessed’ with. Maybe not his most mind blowing work, but it’s freaking hilarious.

I know it’s always going to be amazing, watching him grow, seeing how he progresses, and I know I should learn how to appreciate these milestones that he passes. I’m not sure I’m able to quite handle 6 yet. Ok. Someone just pass the tissue and tell me to get over it. Could we at least find a way to pause my aging while he gets older? (I want you to know that I am sitting here and there’s one of those infomercials on for skin care that makes you look like you’re 20 years younger than you are, endorsed by some dermatologist with an exotic accent. Clearly, at only $59.95 and free shipping it’s influencing my train of thought…)

Happy Birthday, kid.

the boy who lived...

(this post is originally from sometime in November 2011, but for some reason my iphone wouldn't upload it)

H and I are reading through the Harry Potter series, which is fantastic, because it's fun for both of us! I'm amazed at his ability to keep up and pay attention (sometimes not so much). A lot of his incentive is that he's able to watch the movie after we finish each book.

We're on the fourth book now, which I'm reading a bit more slowly, since as the books go on the language and content grow up a little, while H still remains a five year old.

At any rate, it's thrilling for me that he's so excited and interested in something I love so much. Just in case you'd like a little proof, I was getting shoes out of our shoe cabinet in the front hall when something caught my eye. This was in front of the door to the closet under our stairs:

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