5 Year Photos

Over the weekend Grant and I went to a different park aaaallllll the way out in Wake Forest (E. Carroll Joyner Park) to do his 5 year photos. It was probably way too far to drive for an hour or so of picture-taking but I thought the buildings there looked pretty neat so we went. 

Grant is at an age where we kind of have to make a deal for cooperation where pictures are concerned. The last couple times it's been ice cream or a snow cone. Since Grant got cowboy boots for his birthday and he already had a cowboy hat...this time our deal was a snow cone AND he got to dress like a cowboy.

I am fully aware of the ridiculousness of these pictures. So aware. And of course, the ones of him in the cowboy outfit turned out the best because he was incredibly excited. 

He would have worn that outfit all day if I'd let him (it was like a million degrees, so...no).

He insisted on that shirt because "that is what cowboys wear".

The boots that he is so proud of.

He had too much fun wearing that outfit (and I have no doubt we'll be seeing more of it when the weather gets cooler). After I changed him into shorts...Grant's cooperation kind of went south. But I'm glad I got some fun pictures of this cowboy phase he seems to be going through (and a couple un-cowboy ones too).

4 1/2 Years Old

I look for any excuse to play with my camera and take pictures of Grant. As long as he's willing to sit still for me! (This time it was the promise of ice cream in exchange for good behavior.)

4 1/2 years old and so handsome :) He didn't really want to do pictures but I think he had a little fun with it. I tried not to ask him to do much (except smile) and I tried to be quick. I think every time I snapped a picture he'd ask if it was time for ice cream yet. But I'm so glad we did them because they turned out so good.

This dude is obsessed with dinosaurs and volcanos. And racing. It seems like there is always a "race" of some sort going on in our house. Or a story involving dinosaurs and "hot lava". 

Finally got this kiddo in a big boy bed! He's got a new twin size bed in his room and he loves it. I don't think I've ever seen him so excited about bed. I think his favorite part was shopping for and picking out his new sheets.

Recently added to the TV line-up for us: Paw Patrol. Husband isn't a fan but I don't mind it. It's definitely cutesie and a big a switch from things like Ninja Turtles but there's a good message - even if the dogs are a bit whiney. 

I can't even.

Grant is getting so excited about kindergarten! His daycare is in a different county than ours so he won't be going to school with most of his current set of friends. But I found out that one little boy he's good friends will be going to the same school and he (and his brother) will be in the before & after school program with Grant too. I'm so glad he'll have a friend to pal around with while he makes new ones.

He's learning so much! Writing, recognizing (semi-reading) words, math - it's incredible. We do a lot at home with him but I'm always so thankful for what he's learning at daycare (we call it school). He's gotten so much from being there and he loves going. It makes me so happy but also sad that he'll be leaving there soon.

He's just so his own little person now. He has the best little sense of humor (we cracked up over Big Hero 6 and quote it all the time). Loves to talk on the phone. Asks about our day. Tells very involved stories. And his imagination is crazy. It is never boring at our house.

And now I will shamelessly share more pictures:

This was all him. All I could think was "How you doin'?"

I know I cut off the top of his head but I love this picture. It is
just so very Grant. So happy and laughing.

Fall Fun - Leaves!

I. LOVE. FALL. 

And with the Fair finally over I feel like I can really enjoy it. After our Fair outing on Saturday, I was ready for some relaxing on Sunday. But it was such a pretty day! And there were leaves. Grant has been waiting for the leaves to fall, talking about a leaf pile, for months. And his little face lit up when I suggested we make one Sunday (side note: Sunday felt, to this Yankee, like it was a million degrees outside but it still looked like fall so I was happy-ish).

We got out Grant's tractor with its new wagon and I dug out the rake and we went to work.

Eventually he decided to remove the wagon and
use it like a wheelbarrow.

It was very effective.

It's still early enough in the fall and we don't have a ton of leafy trees around that our leaf supply was slim. I was raking leaves from all over the yard and getting quite a work out! (AND I remembered work gloves this year - no blisters!) Every time we would add the tiniest bit of leaves Grant wanted to know "Is it time to jump now?!" When it was ready, it was smaller than I'd thought it would be but Grant didn't care. He was ready to GO!

Over the years, Husband has gotten me some pretty great gifts. A while back I probably would have told you my favorite (and possibly most-used) was my Kitchenaid mixer. But the camera that he surprised me with a couple years ago is most definitely my favorite now. I love it and I had SO much fun taking pictures of Grant with this leaf pile!

I love this happy boy :)

Our already-not-huge leaf pile diminished rather quickly with all the jumping, as you can see from the above picture. Even though I kept piling it up, at some point I had to ask Grant not to jump so hard in it because I was worried about how hard he was hitting the ground! He didn't care when he couldn't jump anymore. Because he could still Hulk Smash the leaves...

One of my favorites of the day! He's the best.

And you can always just throw them...

What a fun morning! The lawn was mowed the same day so our leaf pile is long gone but I'm sure it won't be too long before we have enough leaves to do it again. And I think I can handle it again now that my muscles have sufficiently recuperated from the raking workout!

Four Years

Four years old! It happened so fast. This year hit me hard because yesterday was Grant's first day of Pre-K and the Kindergarten/school registration talk has already started. He loves to tell us "One day I'm going to be bigger and go to a new school" and he sounds excited so I have to be excited too. And I am...but it really does seem like 10 minutes ago that we brought him home from the hospital or he crawled for the first time or walked. All that. Cliche, yes...it goes by so fast.

But today will be awesome. We're headed to the zoo! Husband and I took the day off for Grant's real birthday and a zoo trip was requested. Tonight he'll get his presents :)

Four Years:

 

• The check-up (and Kindergarten shots) are this week so height and weight then. As always...tall, skinny, and nothing but muscle! 

• Buying clothes for this kid is a chore! He's wearing a 4T right now because it's still shorts season...but I'm not looking forward to finding pants. Thank goodness for adjustable waists! (And can they please stop making so many boys t-shirts that say things like "Heart breaker" or "Stud muffin". Really?)
• Shoes: 11 or 11.5 depending on the brand

• Preschooler! His first day was yesterday. 
• Gets himself dressed in the morning. I lay his clothes out but he does the work. It's a real time saver. But it doesn't always go perfectly. Like the morning he put his undies on over the undies we put on the night before and went to school with two pairs of underpants on (we had no idea until after we got home).

• Loves to do his flash cards with letters & numbers. The alphabet is no problem but with numbers, he forgets the higher ones. Sometimes I make games out of the flashcards and he really has fun with that.
• Still working on writing his letters and numbers. He's pretty good with his name but if he's in the wrong mood he acts like he can't even hold a pencil. This coming year we're going to buckle down!

• Big fan of books! Our night time routine has always included books and he's always loved to be read to. And I've always loved how when it gets quiet in my house and I go looking for what kind of mischief he's gotten himself into, I'll usually find him quietly thumbing through a book. But lately I've heard him thumbing through his books and "reading" aloud his memorized version of the story. I hope he stays a reader.

• Board games and puzzles! We've got quite a board game collection now and it's so fun to play as a family. Grant is much better at handling a loss and even gets excited for the winner. And we have SO many puzzles! I love watching him figure them out and how proud of himself he is when he finishes without help.
• Pretty polite. I'd say he's got pretty good manners and he's getting better at not interrupting. We're working on it.

I love this picture so much

• Pretty good eater! I try to serve vegetables with as many meals as I can and I find that Grant is a good veggie eater. Sauteed squash and zucchini are his favorite! I always have to cook a lot of that because he always wants seconds.
• Finally a fan of ice cream (that was killing me) and some cookies but still no interest in cake. But I think popsicles are still his #1 favorite treat.

• Somehow he's become a Star Wars fan. I really have no idea how that happened. We'd never watched those movies with him but he's into it. Husband likes the movies so that's good but I'm not a fan so I'm having to force myself to find interest.
• Still loves monster trucks, race cars, and Avengers (superheroes) but newer on the list (besides Star Wars) are Transformers and the Ninja Turtles. Also someone got him into Power Rangers. That is the one thing he's into that I wish I could get him away from. Good Lord that is a horrible show!

• Pretty much thinks Cracker Barrel and Target are two of the best places on Earth.
• Mr. Independent. He'll hold hands with us out of habit but give him a little freedom and it's "I can walk by myself!"
• Contrary to that last statement, he is still our little boy. He's so loving and never misses an opportunity to tell us that he loves us or give us hugs and kisses.
• Finds joy in almost anything. I so love this! He's so happy and full of energy. Even the littlest things we do together are great.

Four years ago I became a mom and my world was turned upside-down in the best way possible. It has passed unbelievably quick but I am so thankful for every moment. This boy. This boy! I am the luckiest Mama in the world because of this boy. I am wowed by him every day, learn from him, am frustrated by him, and overwhelmed by how much I love him and loved I am in return.

Happy 4th birthday to my Grant-man!