50 about 5

Will at 5 . . .

• loves to laugh.
• reads many books from memory.
• eats us out of house and home.
• falls asleep very quickly.
• answers "Sure.”
• loves bunnies and meerkats.
• builds elaborate train layouts for Quinn.
• identifies the letters of the alphabet and puts them in alphabetical order.
• hopes to get a skateboard once he masters his scooter.
• loses himself in books.
• seeks out sensory stimulation (i.e. sand, shaving cream, mud, playdoh), and makes it a full body experience.
• rides a "steel two wheeler" without any training wheels.
• rhymes words.
• does not know moderation - always a little more.
• remembers EVERYTHING (lines from movies, pictures from books, equipment at particular playgrounds or parks, activities and events from his toddler years).
• explores the creek for fossils, critters, and “dinosaur bones.”
• reads environmental print and recognizes some basic sight words (i.e. pizza, zoo, cat)
• dreams of having a pet bunny and/or a parakeet
• spells and writes W-i-l-l, Q-u-i-n-n, A-b-b-y, A-n-n-a, M-o-m, G-r-a-n-d-m-a
• always has a plan or an idea. “I know, Mom! I have an idea!”
• cuts his own kiwi, cracks and cooks his own scrambled egg, and makes his own "jelly samitch."
• watches only "nice" G rated movies – nothing scary like Peter Pan, The Little Mermaid, or Finding Nemo. His current favorite is The Ugly Dachshund.
• leaves his bed each night to snuggle in next to me.
• runs barefoot.
• paints quickly covering the entire piece of paper.
• says, “Oh, Brother!”
• dials the phone to call Daddy's cell phone.
• does laundry with very little assistance (sorts the clothes by color, pre-treats any stains, adds the detergent, loads the clothes, turns on the washer, empties the dryer, cleans the lint screen, switches clean clothes to the dryer, starts the dryer).
• prefers to be in the buff.
• tells time on a digital clock.
• looks forward to his first road trip to Pittsburgh.
• finally accepts the vaccuum cleaner, but automatic hand dryers still create a bit of anxiety.
• wakes with the roosters.
• pretends to be Brother Bear of the Berenstain Bears and Shaggy of the Scooby Doo Gang.
• studies and draws maps.
• shouts “Yo!” repeatedly when watching an intense game or funny movie.
• wears size 7/8 and 10/12 clothing and size 1 ½ W shoes.
• knows his home phone number and address.
• identifies many of the numbers 1-100 and puts 1-20 in numerical order.
• tells strangers who ask his age that he is 6 or 8.
• straightens the product on the shelves, helps scan and bag the items - grocery is in his blood.
• adores Baby Henry.
  
• swings at the baseball in mid-air sending it flying.
• shares his Grandma's interest in meteorology.
• plays checkers with such animation and increased strategy.
• still has an affection for the color pink.
• throws an impressive football pass.
• believes he can marry Abby and Riana.
• giggles, plays, and sleeps at his best friend Quinnie's side.
• must sense his mama's feelings about him turning 5, as he suggested celebrating his 4th birthday again this year.