Six Years

Yesterday my first baby turned six. Joe and I will celebrate 10 years of marriage this July, and this guy has been a part of our family much longer now than he hasn’t. Yesterday when I commented that it was his sixth birthday, he corrected me that it was actually his seventh if you count the day he was born. That’s my oldest, always seeking accurate facts and never shy about correcting an adult.

His current favorites are math, transformers, wii, and soccer, and every single day he expresses his desire to have a computer or begs to watch science videos on my iPad. His drive to learn amazes me. His new year’s resolution was “In 2014 I am going to yous mor paper beause I like to wright.” He’s not kidding. He’s blown through multiple notebooks filling them with math problems, words, sentences and doodles. He usually doesn’t leave the house without a notebook and writing tools, preferably a Sharpie pen, which he’s been instructed not to use. I told him they were adult pens, but some girl in his class had multi-colored Sharpies, so he’s now placing his own logic over parental authority and sneaking off with my Sharpies.

And that’s the battle with this one – what’s rational trumps authority (unless of course it comes to his kindergarten teacher). His favorite story to be told is how when he was still in my womb, he’d plant his heels up under my ribs. I’d try to push them back down, and he’d push right back. Fortunately, this head-strong child is loving, still laughs with unrestrained squeals, is kind, empathetic and very affectionate. He always knows what I’m going to say when I lead with, “I have something to tell you…” “I know, Mom! You love me! That’s what you always say.” Don’t tell him, but I just picked up a pack of multi-colored Sharpie pens just for him.