Missing Them

I'm missing the kids a lot today.  It has now been 3 1/2 days since I was home and this morning I missed them on Skype by all of 10 minutes and they are now in the car and so unskypable.  And that just-miss apparently tipped the emotional scale and the tears started.  This may work out well for them, though, because a sentimental mommy tends to buy better souvenirs. 

Six!

I know it is a month since Nicholas' birthday, but I wanted to do a birthday update post.  Not so much about his birthday itself but on where he is at 6.  I'm not quite sure where to start, so let's see how this goes.

• Nicholas has loved being in elementary school this year but has expressed frustration at points with some of the academics.  "We did that in preschool, Mom!"
• His two biggest obsessions right now are Wild Kratts and baseball.  His birthday party was a Wild Kratts party where we did games for different animal powers.
• When he decides to focus on something he amazes us with what he is capable of doing, how self-directed he is, and how long he can work on it.  He will go in his room and work on building Lego creations for hours.  Same for painting (although not in his room).  He won't build with Legos without directions, however.
• He is a wonderful reader but most of the time doesn't really like to read.  Looking at the books the library had out for summer reading, the ones for kids entering third grade are about what he usually reads.  He can read just about any word he could use in a sentence.  We have trouble convincing him to read, though, and he says reading is boring.  For a couple weeks he got really into these Ballpark Mysteries books but then dropped them.  He has been more interested in reading some nonfiction about baseball and animals, but that is also not consistent, with him reading one evening and then refusing the next few.
• He loves playing outside and with friends.
• He loves his little sister and at times clicks into this amazing big brother who helps her and takes care of her.  He virtually never picks on her but he does sometimes get a thrill out of teaching her things I don't want him to or getting her to mimic things like shrieking.  There is a power trip when you know you can get someone to do anything you do.
• He has lost 6 teeth.  2 are completely in.  2 are almost in.  1 more is partially in.
• His musical ear amazes me.  Over the winter when we were in the basement more he would sit down at the piano and make up songs with certain feelings, using the notes and tempo to create a feeling.
• He can get very silly, but when he cares about something he has a laser focus.  

This age seems to be a transition from little kid to big kid and Nicholas fluctuates between them, super responsible and capable one minute and then a scared kid the next.  I see him turning into the elementary school kid and my preschooler left behind.  And I am so proud of him for all he is becoming.  But I am also sentimental and so get sad to leave all that was behind.

From 2015 May

From 2015 May

He is 6!

Look what Nicholas painted as his final act of being 5:

From 2015 May

For those of you not well-versed in baseball stadiums, the warehouse in the background indicates that it is Camden Yards.  Not a little kid anymore.

Happy Birthday, Nicholas.  We are so proud of you and are excited about 6!

Kindergarten Friendships

Nicholas may not have learned a lot academically this year but he has matured a lot and developed really important relationships.  We already knew this but it was on full display today at the school fair.

He knew which table his teacher was going to be staffing and had made her a drawing this morning in church.  He then had to get a tattoo put on by her.  He adores her!

From 2015 May

And here are the three musketeers with their matching face paint:

From 2015 May

Louisville trip

The kids and I had a great time on our trip.  I'm exhausted but it was honestly much easier than I had expected and than it could have been.  Thank you technology for making the 4 plane rides downright pleasant.  I have high hopes of writing a real post, but since that might not happen, pictures are in the April album.

Glasses Pics

We picked up Lizzie's glasses today, so I figured I'd share some pictures so you can start getting used to her new look.  It has only been a couple hours but I have already adapted to how she looks straight on.  From the side they still catch me off guard.  But it has only been a couple hours.  So far she has done a pretty good job leaving them on, which makes me happy.  She has taken them off a few times, but let me put them back on her, and 3 times in 2 hours isn't bad for the first day.  We'll see how tomorrow goes.

From 2015 April

From 2015 April

From 2015 April

Also, here is a video because it was hard to get good still pictures:

Glasses

We knew that it was virtually inevitable that our kids would need glasses someday, but we didn't expect that day to come so soon. Lizzie had her eye doctor's appointment today for her eye crossing problem and she is apparently extraordinarily farsighted and needs to wear glasses full time.  I am simultaneously disappointed and relieved. 

Disappointed because it means she (and we!) will have to deal with keeping glasses on and not broken.  And also because she will look so different.  I know we'll all get used to it and in a year we will look back at pictures and be startled to see her without them, but right now it is sad. 

But relieved because of all the options, this really is a good one and an easy fix.  No surgery.  No years of therapy.  No "hmm, there is no obvious reason . . . she may need to be evaluated by a neurologist." 

And so I am going to choose to be thankful.

But, don't be surprised if I slip a few times and cry.