Five is going to be my most favorite...

We are a few weeks away from Powell family birthday month.  My kids were all born between April 29^th and May 20^th (I know, terrible planning on my part- though due to some late arrivals it wasn't exactly planned that way), so for three weeks straight we are in full on birthday mode.  Toots turns three, Monster, five, and Red has survived one whole year with these crazies!

I’m excited for Red to turn one and move out of baby stage.  Unfortunately, if the past few weeks of crazy behavior are any indication, three may be worse than two for my Toots girl.  But Monster turning five is going to be pretty life changing I think.

I’ve already noticed a shift in him recently that makes me think five may just be my most favorite age.  He’s reasonable, quickly snapping out of bad moods with rational conversation.  He gets stuff in a deeper way.  His little faith has started to blossom as he asks us big questions about God and then tells us he’s going to his room to pray.  And he can do stuff.  Yesterday he rode his bike all the way to the library and back, a little over a mile each way.  This morning he prepared his breakfast all by himself.

It’s the sweetness that’s killing me though.  All of a sudden it’s like he’s taken love potion.  He comes and gives me hugs unprompted constantly.  He’s full of compliments and kind words for me.  And somehow, somewhere he learned to be really grateful for all sorts of everyday things I do.

I mean, come on.  So sweet. 

I suspect he learned that gratitude from school.  This past week has been “week of the young child” which seems to really be “week we teach young children not to be ungrateful a-holes.”  Either way I’m all for it.  Every day he’s come home with notes for Tommy and me. 

new favorite song.

And he learned the “thank you parents song” which I now request him to sing on the regular.

I’m telling you this age, combined with a school that’s teaching him the really important things in life, is making my week.  I want to bottle his sweetness up and save it for when he’s 16 and pissed that I won’t let him borrow the car. 

And for those of you in the throws of the terrible twos and threes- it gets so much better.  I promise.  Five is going to be awesome-sauce.