Oh! And did I tell ya, I'm FIVE!

My baby has done it now. He's always been our little guy, and small for his age, too. But now that he's finally believable as four, he has broken into the world of big-boyhood and on March 24th, he turned five. Recently, a friend of mine was tending him one day. He followed her around the house, chatting amiably, and managed to slip it into the conversation several times that he was, in fact, five. Did she know that? And guess what? He wasn't just four anymore. I'm not sure what he expected her to do with his information, but one thing she could not do was forget it. To the public eye, this may be misconstrued as excitement for growing up. But this wasn't always the case. There have been times when he has put on a sad face, saying, "Mom, I don't want to go to Kindergarten next year; what will you do without me? You'll be so sad!" And when I pleaded, "Promise you'll always be my baby," he answered, "I know I'll have to grow up.....but when I do, I'll just shrink back down into a baby again." He followed up with a pitying smile, just so I knew his sacrifice would be entirely for my benefit.
It's all over though, now, because not a day goes by that he doesn't ask how many months till he gets to be in school with Benj. Ah, well. It turns out my parents were right when they said we all grew up too fast. We were so inconsiderate, how could we? Take hold of your sweet young babes and toddlers and kiss them, even as they yell "NO!" and sass you, kiss their grubby little cheeks and don't let a moment go by that you allow them to wonder just how much you love them. I think that I shall end up doing a lot of talking to myself. I can see my craziness now. In the grocery store while I shop, in the kitchen while I cook, and over my shoulder driving here and there. I'll keep talking to my little ones, teaching them, teaching myself how to let them go.

SNIFF! Man alive, my baby's five! Here are some things I love about Joshie:

1. Hugs and kisses are never in short supply. You may have been pondering to yourself during the passing of the Sacrament and heard a faint (or loud) kissing sound, repeated over and over. That would be Joshie kissing up and down my arm or just on the back of my hand.

2. You never have to wonder what he's thinking. Honesty is one of his strong points, which is--mostly--a good thing. This also means he's a bad liar and thus does not try to get away with telling lies very often. He also still believes it's pointless to try because I have this special mom vision that makes me see red when it's a lie and green when it's the truth.

3. He remembered the talk given by Elder M. Russell Ballard where he talked to the kids about being so helpful to their moms by making their beds, helping with the dishes, and cleaning up their toys--all without being asked. We had had an FHE the night before about a talk from last year by L. Tom Perry about doing your best and doing good works. He combined the two ideas when we were having lunch out on the porch one day. He said he wanted to be like the wise man, and be a doer of the word and not just a hearer of the word, so he went in and helped me do the dishes.

4. He never complains about what is served at dinner. He always wants a large serving, and even if it becomes obvious that the dish isn't his favorite, he manages to finish. He often asks, knowing the answer, "Who made this!?" Then he does a little move of pounding his fist on the table twice and giving me a thumbs up.

5. He's reserved. Which is different from quiet. I am not dillusional enough to believe my second born son to be QUIET. His Primary teachers past and present could vouch for that. There is a lot going on inside him, but he is happy letting someone else be the center of attention. I will say he loves to share what he knows if asked a question, and relishes a moment of pride when he gets it right.

6. Even after he's done something infuriating and is in the midst of a lecture, his arms are out wide for a tearful hug. My furrowed brow has no choice but to soften, and it's hard to stay angry with him for long. He makes the reproving part hard and the outpouring-of-love part so easy.

7. When asked what he would like for his birthday, his requests were sure and simple, "Two tridents (swords) for Benj and an outfit for Toby (his teddy bear)."

Well there's more, but this much will do so that we can get on with the pictures. No big theme for the party this year, but he decided he wanted a "book" cake since he learned to read this year. And, of course, what would we do without our boys' favorite, Chuck E. Cheese?