E is 6!

E!

How can you be turning 6 years old today?! Stop growing up so fast. Seriously, stop it. But you're not going to...and really, we don't want you to either. This past year you've grown so much as a person. There are so many memories, it's impossible to capture even the highlights of you being 5, but here's a handful that will stick with us forever that I feel do a decent job of showing who've you become.

You've thrived in Kindergarten. Not only are you reading, doing math, and starting to understand the states of matter (all of which, by the way, far surpass our K curriculum) -- but you're known in your class as being attentive, sensitive, and curious. One of the proudest moments of our life was hearing you won the A.B.C. (attitude, behavior, and choices) award. You're making a good group of friends...some of which you see all 7 days of the week between class, Sunday School, & sports

Speaking of sports, we've loved watching you grow there, too. You played soccer and baseball and we love to hear how excited you are to go to practice, attend games, and to work on your own in the backyard. That positive attitude is so sweet and infectious. You've never been upset when something negative happened in a game...you just give that grin and zoom off to the next challenge.

Beyond organized sports, you've really thrown yourself into hip-hop dancing -- and we're pretty sure that there's many attendees of that San Luis Obispo wedding who will never forget your solo to Uptown Funk or the mid-inning Handclap at the Giants game. You really are an inspiration for those of us with that bad mixture of no rhythm and too much restraint.

While you still remain thoughtful & careful in a lot of things, you've really gained a streak of bravery beyond your dance inhibitions. We're talking about riding Space Mountain for the first time and then, without much batting of an eye, going on it another 3 times. We're talking about pushing for a zipline day in Costa Rica...and then another one...and then doing a HUGE Tarzan swing which was (ummm) "thrilling" to the adults in the crew -- so "thrilling" that many opted out. Then you did it partially upside down and after all of that -- it's one of your favorite things to reminisce about.

In that same vein, this year started out with you being very nervous about riding a bike without training wheels to (seemingly in a day) riding without them so well, that we're having to fix up our own bikes just to keep up with you on the sidewalk (and even that...)

Though through all of that bravery, you still have this very sensitive streak that makes you dislike when a character in a movie or book is going to get in trouble or get hurt. You're obsessed with parts of Pixar's INSIDE OUT, which is a very deep movie for a 5 year old, honestly. Of course, you get into a giggle fit anytime someone says 'fart,' -- so you're still a normal male there.

You continue to be a role model for us older siblings out there. J is your best buddy in the war-eld (you're still working on that pronunciation). And watching you two negotiate what you play could teach many grown ups things...like making J's dolls baseball players and then treating them in the Doc McStuffin's nursery after they were injured in a playoff game. Seriously, that is a win-win.

We really appreciate your logical, curious, and crafty mind. How you and J conduct experiments on your own -- even coming up with hypotheses (and understanding what that even means). ROSIE REVERE, ENGINEER, IF I BUILT A CAR, & IF I BUILT A HOUSE are some of your all time favorites -- as are BATTLE BOTS & HOW IT'S MADE on TV. And your appreciation for fast cars was deeply apparent by your excitement to attend a 2-day race at the Leguna Seca speedway.

 We love the little nature-man developing too. Camping is one of your favorite things to do and that is already translating to an appreciation for nature. To the point where you and J decided to donate  some of your hard-earned dollars to Kids Save the Rainforest charity. And as we've started the Lion scouts, we're excited to see how that commitment to the outdoors and service grows. 

Again, we could go on-and-on, but really it all summarizes so easily: You're a great kid, E, and if these are just a few of the memories your 6th year brought, then we'd better get a bigger blog for the next.

Love you, big guy,
Daddy & Mommy