Babies to the Max: Five Years

Dear Max,

Five seems impossibly old and yet it cannot possibly encompass the amount of time we have spent together. We are very proud of the person you are and the person you are still becoming!

You are kind and caring: I have observed you seeking out children who are upset or shy and encouraging them to play. After a discussion at church about missions and collecting money for underprivileged children, you concluded the money could be used to "help kids get clean water" without anyone telling you that was how it would be used. You immediately asked how you could earn money to help those children and have willingly agreed to exchange your behavior and chore magnets for coins to go towards the fund instead of a reward for yourself.

You are full of joy: Every morning starts with you bouncing out of your room with enough energy to power a small city. You are enthusiastic about school and church and playing and pajama day and any other activity on your agenda. During our visit for your school birthday celebration, the music teacher stopped to tell us she adores you because of your positive and happy attitude. The classroom teachers report you are socially and emotionally well-adjusted (the best thing a therapist mother could hear) and brighten their days with your quick smile and cheerful nature. You get along easily with other children and charm every adult you encounter.

You seek to learn: You are full of questions about the world and delight in knowledge. "Guess what people are doing on the other side of the world right now? They're asleep!" You come home from school eager to show us what you have learned and practice your newest skill. Puzzles are a favorite challenge for your logical mind and you can complete 300 piece puzzles "easy peasy" and are attempting 500 pieces (with help from Mommy)! One day you decided to write rhyming words on post-its to create a Word Wall in the playroom. You worked diligently to sound out the words to spell them and read them.

You are growing up: Some days are still tough and you whine, "I just want to do what I want to do!" But you are learning to use coping skills and control your impulses. You have graduated to older chores like setting the table and work hard to "teach" Sarah how to behave properly. You use mature phrases and sayings like "last but not least", "awesome" and "no way!" Daddy and I often giggle about your antics after you have gone to bed. Although it sometimes surprises me when I glance at you and see such a big boy, some mannerisms have stayed remarkably similar since you were a baby.