I have been feeling nostalgic, extremely proud, a little sad and slightly offended by the passing of time lately. A week from today my son, my firstborn and the one who made me a mama will be turning five. Five!!
Lucas is an awesome kid with a silly sense of humor and an undying curiosity, two traits I hope he always possesses. He’s also a sweet sensitive little boy and is learning how to be more independent and how to take no for an answer.
My son had a banner year and I couldn’t possibly list all of his accomplishments (yes, this is going to be one of those posts) but I would like to share a few that stand out for me. In no particular order:
As a family we survived a nine month stint in a tiny two bedroom apartment while we searched for a house and while he mirrored my frustration with our living situation, Lucas really made the best of it and out of all of us was the most adaptable. He also served as an active participant in our home search and shared his desire for a backyard and missing his trampoline and a dedicated play area. He was patient and understanding through our moves.
Twice this year Lucas has gone through his toys and allowed us to either set some things aside for his little sister to play with someday or give items to goodwill. This is not an easy feat for children but he did it with ease and graciousness.
I will always remember this as the year Lucas went from being obsessed with Cars to being obsessed with Star Wars. We are currently up to our eyeballs in Jedi, droids and intergalactic battles. Enough said.
In January, Lucas was moved into the upper Pre-K class at his current preschool and in March was accepted into a local prestigious private school where he will begin kindergarten this fall. He was one of only 17 students out of 70 accepted! We are excited about next school year and all the new things Lucas will be exposed to.
One of Lucas and his dad’s favorite things to do together is go skateboarding and over the last year, Lucas has become proficient at it! He practices safety and caution while at the same time pushing himself and being daring in spite of a few skinned knees and elbows.
Over Memorial Day weekend, we hosted Lucas’s first sleep over and it was fun, but also a tiny glimpse into our future of being cast aside in favor of being with friends.
Just yesterday, Lucas earned a yellow belt in karate, a sport he’s only been participating in since mid-January. He’d been practicing for days, worked with a friend and his sensi to perfect the series of moves and announced on the way to class that he was ready to test. He said advancing to the next level was something that he wanted to do before turning five and he did it!
One of Lucas’s biggest accomplishments this year was becoming a big brother, a role that he seemed born to have. At only four months old, Lola idolizes him and has since the very first moment they met and he is completely enamored by her. Watching their relationship grow and develop and seeing Lucas’s nurturing side has been one of my greatest joys. I knew it would be!
Being a good sibling and working hard towards something he wants were major themes for this year and prompted a lot of discussions about what being a good role model means. I’m happy to be this amazing boy’s mom and he delights and surprises me daily. I can’t wait to see what five has in store for us.
Next up? In his words, “mastering the art of tying my shoes!”.
Lucas, my sweet boy, you have all the time in the world for that. Enjoy your last week of being four. I love you.
Lady Jennie says
Five is monumental! My youngest is five and it’s such a big boy era. 🙂
kendall says
What an absolutely adorable little one! My son is turning 3 today and it seems huge! Sounds like you have one smart cookie on your hands! 🙂
Katie says
FIVE! I love this post. This age, man. Eddie will be five in June too and he has just grown so much in this past year as a little man. He is SUCH a kid now. High FIVES to our boys being FIVE!
Sarah says
Wow 5 yrs old! I’m not there yet but I’m sure it is going to be hard for me! Happy Birthday Lucas!
Becky says
It is so hard that our littles have to get older. I can’t believe mine is almost two and I know soon, she will be in college! Well…maybe not that bad! 🙂
Chereen says
Loved this post so much! My first is 16 months old… hardly 5, I know, but I’m always amazed at how quickly time flies when you’re a mama. I can only imagine the bittersweet emotions you must be feeling right now! Lucas is so gorgeous and sounds like the best big brother. Happy (almost!) birthday, little guy!
Lauren says
My little man just turned 5 last year… it seemed like such a big age. He has grown so much this year! Stopping by from the sits facebook linkup
Alison says
A whole hand in just a few days, Lucas!
What a terrific little boy. Reading about him, looking at his photographs – makes me happy. I remember when he was just a tiny 2 🙂
Bridgette says
I love everything about this! He is so lucky to have parents that celebrate all the beautiful things that make us grow into well-rounded humans. Happy Birthday to you both!
Elaine A. says
Age 5 is one of my all time favorites so far. Sounds like y’all are going to have another great year. I guess it is possible to be really proud of a kiddo you only know through the internet… 😉 xo
Andrea says
Such a great pic at the end. Those eyes! Swooning.