(At some point I'll post some birthday pictures of Marcus but right now, I am just too tired from festivities.)
My number one baby turned 6 today! I still find it amazing to watch him grow, learn, and very slowly become the wonderful man that he is meant to be.
Big changes this year as he entered into kindergarten, a kindergarten that is far more academic than I remember. The new classroom means more opportunities for us to learn about strengths and weaknesses we never knew he had. It just facinates me watching him learn to read. I love seeing concept that he was having trouble with at the beginning of kindergarten suddenly just disappear as he "gets" it. His teachner says that he is a hard worker, gets along great with the other kids in his class, and is funny. She also says he is very quiet and shy, which is exactly the opposite from his personality outside of school.
At home he plays the role of the big brother well. He is always kind and caring and helpful and encouraging and gentle and loving. At least with Sean and Aaron. With Will he is almost always kind, caring, helpful, and encouraging, but then sometimes he does whatever he can to make Will mad and hurt his feelings. So yeah, he and Will have a typical brother relationship. Marcus is always willing to help clean and cook and do chores and carry groceries. He takes so much pride in doing things for himself.
Marcus is funny and energetic and LOUD. (Those teachers of him seriously need to see/hear this kid in action outside of school.) He likes playing tricks on people. One minute he will be sitting quietly on the couch and the next he is falling on the floor yelling and flopping around. He loves playing with the neighborhood kids, who he has gotten to know better from riding the bus with them. He talks with the adult neighbors and cashiers and whoever else in the community we might run into.
He is still playing soccer and still loving it. And he is really quite good. We have had several parents make comments to us, impressed with his ability. Each night when he has indoor soccer, he always tells us how he is going to help Will try to score a goal, because he really is a nice kid like that.
And he loves me lots. Just yesterday he told me, "You are a very good mommy," which really meant a lot to me. I do my best to make sure Marcus and I get to spend time together but it is hard with his demanding little brothers and busy school schedule. Sometimes, even though he is a great big 6 year old now, he still cuddles with me, hugs me, and tells me how he loves me sooooo much. It is that kind of overflowing love where he tries to get me to understand how much, but he just doesn't have the words. I still understand him because I feel the same way about him.
Sharing snacks with the pup
Will's class took a field trip to a pizza restaurant where he toured the place and got to make his own personal pan pizza.
Some warm weather in March had us hitting the hiking trails. This was after several miles in the Wildflower Reserve of Raccoon Creek State Park.
On the porch
Relaxing with the pup
He insisted he needed to be in there
