Since this blog is really my only record anymore, here is a brief snapshot of Nicholas at 5:
- He alternates between little kid and big kid. He isn't in the middle, but rather is one and then 2 hours later is the other. He can be super responsible and helpful but he also has meltdowns and needs Mommy hugs when his feelings are hurt. He almost always rises to the occasion and is awesome when it counts and we put him in all sorts of situations where he does way better than a kid of his age could be expected to (full-length musicals, for example), but getting out of the house in the morning is often a disaster. His favorite things to watch are HGTV, the Food Network, and Frozen.
- He loves his little sister but resents how much attention she gets. He seems to have decided (although I'm sure it wasn't that conscious) to try to get attention as it reflects off of her. Which is to say that if people are paying attention to her or commenting on how cute she is, he will jump in and try to make her smile (often by acting like a maniac). It makes complete sense--if he can show that he is her favorite and she is a rock star, then that makes him special too, right?
- His memory is amazing. He can memorize whole songs and complete dialogs from movies after hearing them just a few times and gets the intonations spot on. He has been watching an instructional video that came with the magic tricks an aunt and uncle gave him for his birthday and when he performs the tricks he does the magician's complete shtick (including often the instructional commentary)!
- He can read quite a bit but it is hard to know how much because it is virtually impossible to convince him to sit down and read a book to you. But he was able to read the titles for most of the songs on the Frozen soundtrack listing and most of the words on the birthday cards he got. I wish I understood his resistance to books. He loves being read to but refuses to read them out loud to us.
- He is at his best when he has a job to do or is learning something new. He is one of the best behaved kids on the teeball team and I have yet to see him get caught up in other kids' craziness or attitude. It is like looking at the Nicholas of 2 years ago and night and day from his behavior at soccer just a couple months ago. My best guess is that it has to do with the fact that he is paying such close attention to what is happening in the game and the instructions he is being given. Similarly, he has been amazing with learning magic. It keeps his attention for hours if we let him go and he is extremely focused.
- His writing and spelling have gotten pretty good, but as with reading, it is a battle to get him to use them and practice.
- He absolutely loves playing outside. And I'm pretty sure his favorite thing to play outside is baseball with Daddy.
- He can do so much himself when he is willing to (and when we give him the space to). My goal for the summer is to be better about reassessing what he is actually able to do and letting him try. He has recently begun asking to make his own breakfast and he can actually do quite a bit. And if he can have a job that involves taking care of Elizabeth in some way, it is heaven for him. Empowerment. I need to get better at it.
- He has a sweet heart and absolutely takes my breath away sometimes with kind gestures.
- He has lost two teeth (the middle bottom two) and the new ones have almost completely grown in.
- He is super excited about kindergarten and getting to go to elementary school.
- He is really excited about the new house, but not about getting his own room (because he loves his baby sister just that much). I think he is most excited about having a back yard and all the outdoor activities that come with it.
 |
| From 2014 May |
No comments:
Post a Comment