This little man of ours has really blossomed into a full-fledged preschooler. He is gregarious, especially with men, and will happily tell them his name, how old he is, and that he now has his own room complete with dinosaur comforter. To those he knows and those he doesn't, he repeats this information proudly and without hesitation.
Bubs still has the best belly laugh, a full smile complete with underbite, and loves to show off when people come to the house. Quick to apologize, he makes up for his mistakes with a snuggle and head hung low. And he doesn't hesitate to ask me if I'm sorry for getting upset with him, if I haven't apologized on my own at that time.
He is a delightful mix of all boy - launching off furniture, high places, and creating guns out of sticks to shoot bad guys - and is comfortable with a sensitive side I'm attributing to the influence of his sisters. The other morning, he was playing in his room as I got ready for the day. It was a little quiet so I peeked in through the door and found him meticulously lining the My Little Ponies side-by-side in his white bookshelf. He loves to look at books (bugs, dinosaurs, and Star Wars are favorites from the library), watch movies, and play with his sisters. "When I'm five, I'll get to ride the bus and go to Chaparral Cougars, just like my sisters," he likes to inform me.
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| First sunny day above 55 degrees. Why not swim? |
His imagination is constantly going and he still has his friend, Later Gator, who can be counted upon to make his presence in the midst of any and all conversations. "Oh! Later Gator...." or "Later Gator's baby does/has/is...." I have to admit that there are days I am tired of hearing what Later Gator thinks, says, or knows. This is the longest imaginary friend any of the kids have had. I think this character has been with us for at least a year, maybe longer.
For his birthday - back in May, I should add - he was all over the place for a theme for the cake. Batman won and the cake turned out well. It poured buckets the afternoon of his party!
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| Pretty sure he spit all over the cake.... |
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| One of my favorite traditions....the decorated chair. My hubs has talent! |
I can't imagine our family without this charismatic little man. He makes me a better Mama.
Swimming lessons at the Nampa Y are always great - the kids have lessons at the same time, it's indoors which keeps us warmer in the mid-June mornings, and they love it. Both girls graduated from their respective levels and Spencer made good headway to mastering the list of checks required to move up.
Chadwick "won" a paddleboard from a work holiday party and we were able to find a weekend to head up to Lucky Peak with the Wards for the day. We parked, canoed across the reservoir and spent the day eating, paddleboarding, and enjoying time away from the daily grind. Turns out, successfully working a paddleboard isn't super easy when standing on one's feet. I declined learning something new as I didn't want to end up in the water. I'm a wuss when it comes to being cold! Chadwick and the girls all loved it, and Darwin loved the idea of being with Chadwick, even if he didn't love the rest of the experience....
Chadwick stayed the night as the young men were heading up to work on their water safety badges. That water was cold and I didn't envy the youth having to swim a mile Saturday morning....though it didn't stop the kids or dogs from jumping in! Darwin, of course, found a tree trunk to haul around for the afternoon and the Ward's Golden, Paisley, entertained herself by splashing water into the air and then trying to eat it. I think she's part fish. We love these friends and have made so many fun memories together with them over the last few years.
The girls were invited to a neighbor's house for crafts the first week they were off school. They loved the activities and the pie they brought home was delightful!
And, of course, the barn. I can't get enough of this view. Turns out, the people right behind us bought their house partly because they love their view of our red barn.
