I wish for just a minute I could bottle up these days, and replay them in a few years. The craziness is, well…crazy, and I wish I could step out of my life for just a few moments and participate as an observer. I know if I don’t journal these days, I won’t remember. So, I’m going to give an update on each kid and allow this to be my ‘bottle’.
Pierson-Turned 7 last month. He has lost his 4 front teeth after I convinced him to let me pull each of them (within about a month time span). Each of them were dangling in his mouth until I could finally convince him to be brave. He is finished with Kindergarten and had a very good year, enjoying school and excelling in his class. I’m thankful he loved it as much as he did. Every night, we share what we enjoyed most about the day and more often than not, school won the spot for the best part of his day. He is my creative kid-his wheels are always turning and he’s always inventing something in his head or concocting a plan.
Thatcher-5.5. He is reading very well, and enjoying it. He loves to tease-and finds humor in many things. He loves to hear jokes and repeats them over and over again. (Note to self-increase my joke repertoire ASAP!) Humor comes naturally to him and has to be told to stop laughing when situations should be serious. He loves taking things apart and I never know what appliance may be dismantled if I’m away. We’re working on picking up the screws he finds while dismantling things so #4 doesn’t eat them again. He loves to help his dad out in the yard or his grandpa (Bunk) when he comes for a visit.
Sterling-3.75 Sterling is a lot of fun! She brings a lot more drama to the family than the boys, but I do loving having my girl. She loves doing ‘schoolwork’ and is getting great at coloring, writing, and drawing. She wants to be like her brothers and keeps asking when she can go to school. She likes to go to the grocery with me and enjoys being a helper. She has recently been showing more interest in helping the twins do things and can be found mothering them in a gentle way. On the opposite end of the spectrum, she equally knows how to push every button (and I mean EVERY) of her older two brothers. Earlier in May, she had to have an MRI for eye issues that she has been having. We were given a good report and are now waiting to see if the situation resolves itself on its own in few months.
Anders- Anders turned 2 on April 20. This little one loves anything that has to do with hats, keys, sunglasses, shoes, crackers & cookies. Lately, he’s even been sleeping in his hats! Recently, he brought a key to church-he held tightly onto it until the nursery workers convinced him to put it in his pocket during church. If I had a word for him, it’d be ‘endearing’-He is just such a sweet kid. He is terrified of animals- including the chickens which he informs me with a tilt of his head, ‘sickens scae-odd (chickens scared)’. Then there is also a greater fear of the neighbor’s cat, and of any dog. He loves to grab things from his brother and take off running, with a ornery glint in his eye, laughing along the way. For their birthday present to me, both boys potty trained and made this momma so thrilled–I despise changing diapers and am beyond thankful to have 5 kids out of diapers!!
Merritt- Merritt turned 2 on April 20. This little one knows what he wants and vocalizes (aka screams) if what’s happening isn’t going according to his plan. If I had a word for him, it’d be ‘determined’. The way he scolds his brother when a toy has been stolen with a slurred “Shay-ah Annerss (Share Anders)” makes me smile when I think about it. And when he’s mad because he’s not getting his way and he tilts his head sideways, pouts with his lower lip protruding, but keeps an eye on me out of the corner of his eye. I can’t help but smile while feeling exasperated. While he is so fiercely unwavering in what he wants, he is equally as unwavering in his love. He wants to be as close as possible to me and if I don’t hold him just how he wants, he crawls on top of me to make sure he’s as close as possible. And can my lap be available to any of my other kids? I think not! I have coined the word “Merrittism” for this kid. Definition: The belief that you are the only child, when in reality you have 4 siblings! Hahah.
I’m thankful for this journey and am thankful for each of the 5 kiddos God has entrusted to our family. While fully embracing the crazy life that 5 kids entails, I am also trying to fully embrace that these are the ‘good’ years and doing my best to bottle up the memories to cherish always.
