62 Months Old!

Dear Connor,

You steadily cruise into your 5th year on this Earth and I must say, you are rocking it. Totally, dude. People regularly ask me how you and Helen are and I always respond "fantastic - I am in the glory days of parenting". And I know that life can change in an instant, but these days? Life is good. Really good. Not perfect, mind you, but good.

Last Friday, several moms and I were sitting around in Helen's parent-child class discussing various issues related to your school's Fall Festival. This year, I was in charge of building a marble run (total success), coordinating volunteers (successful only because some friends of mine with no connection to the school came and volunteered for several hours), writing descriptions and pricing over 200 silent auction items (along with various other administrative tasks), making jump ropes before the festival, and baking 4 dozen cookies. It was a lot. Another mom asked me how I could do it all and I looked at her and said "because I have an incredible 5 year old in my house". I remember the days of struggling as a parent with a two year old and pregnant with another child (the position she's in). Life was a lot harder then, because your needs were rather intense. But now? I come home from work, and almost every day, I can start dinner while you and Helen play either outside in our backyard, in the neighbor's backyard, or find some project you can do in the kitchen beside me. It's really wonderful to see. I hope the two of you stay friends like this forever.

So why are things going so well? For starters, you rock the sleep world, almost always - and you make mornings easy. There were a few days this month where you would bound down the stairs early and happily announce "I had a nightmare" which can be a free pass into my bed. Not so, when it's clear you aren't in distress. You asked how I knew you hadn't had a nightmare and did attempt to perfect your acting a bit. Nice try, friend. Mostly though, you sleep until well after your wake-up light comes on, you get dressed, you eat breakfast, and your off! Seriously. You don't even say good-bye to your dad or me most days after morning verse at your school. You just run off to play with your friends.

And, although you could use a little more one-on-one time, you're making it work. And I appreciate that.

Grandma Carlene and Grandpa Rodney came for a visit and, as always, came bearing presents. This, you like. However, you continue to be unimpressed with clothes as a gift, and you don't mind telling your grandparents this.

Your grandpa Dick also came to visit - also bearing gifts. You are now the proud owner of roller skates! While he was here, we visited a dairy farm and you announced you would like to be a farmer and live there. That's too bad, really, because that means we won't be living together. Here's a little note to you. Farming is really hard work.

We also went to an orchard and picked a couple of bags of apples. After we had paid for the apples, you saw some fresh cider. You asked your dad to buy it and, already tired of waiting in lines and ready for the day to end, we both told you we'd just get some at the store this week. You pointed out that fresh from the farm is better, something we learned while visiting our CSA farm with Grandpa Dick when we got to have fresh pressed cider which you declared to be "better than candy". You had a point about this. We got back in line and purchased from the farm.

The number. Oh, the numbers. You love counting, and thinking about sets of numbers (yes, Daddy is four sets of 10!), and have recently become fascinated with mutiplying things by 10 and 100. Oh dear me, please become fascinated in something else...soon. Although, I will admit, I'm a fan of the numbers, too!

You have become my official kitchen floor cleaner, which is awesome. You love to spray the floor and wipe away the smudge. In fact, you like it so much that you once asked me to come get you whenever I saw a spot, even if you were sleeping. Consider yourself hired! I'm recording it here in case you ever become a less dedicated worker.

You made me laugh a few nights ago when, in the middle of the night, I overheard you muttering "oh dear", something you had also said when you spilled milk at dinner. You get this from me. You even asked me why I say "oh dear" and I told you "I don't like to yell, so I've decided to say 'oh dear' to give myself a little time to process my feelings before I say anything".
You are truly a positive force in my life and the lives of others, Connor. We've talked before about how you can choose to be happy or you can choose to be angry and I'm grateful that these days, at least, you're choosing to be happy. The world has so much to offer. Grab it!

Love,
Mommy