Now We Are Six

I told my sweet boy he was supposed to stay five forever, but that failed.  Good thing six is looking awesome!  

Henry is settling in so well to our new life in Minnesota.  He was the most excited to be moving, and repeatedly proclaimed he would miss NOTHING about DC, but I expected him to experience some let-down once we arrived.  Of all the kids, I most expected behavioral/adjustment issues from Henry.  But he's been great!  He settled right in to the house and the new room.  He likes having more space to run around and REALLY loves being able to go outside alone.  He told us in awe, "Our backyard is like a park."  So far the major disappointment is that we haven't had nearly enough snow.

Having a ton of family here is awesome for him.  There are people around all the time, which is all this kid ever wanted.  We had his birthday party the weekend after we moved in.  He was anxious that no one would come since we just moved here, but 35 people showed up, including 18 kids, and it was the greatest thing ever, even though he didn't know most of them.

School is going great, much to our surprise!  He started kindergarten about a month ago and was delighted to learn he would have a male teacher.  The work is way, way, way too easy for him.  It seems like he does a lot of coloring, counting to ten, and learning letter sounds, which is completely absurd after the work he was doing last year.  I mean, at home he's posting signs on his bedroom door that say, "NO GRONOPS OLOD" and at school he's circling all the pictures that start with the "g" sound.  But there are 13 six-year-old boys in his class and an awesome playground, and really, nothing else matters to him.  I'll be worried if he still isn't challenged at all next year, but for now, we're just happy that he's happy.

Second first day of school 2016

And riding the bus is the BEST THING EVER.  For all of us.  I walk him to the bus stop (four houses down) in the morning.  He told me after one week that he wanted to walk home alone, so I made him practice for a week, and now he comes home by himself without me or the girls having to go outside.  He didn't want me to even watch him, but I totally hide in the office window and stalk him (I did bust him walking in the street once).  I was so involved in his old school, plus we had to drop off and pick up at the classroom, so I knew a lot about what was going on day-to-day.  Now that I never have to go to school, I have no idea what's going on, which is weird for me.  It's probably a good thing to be relieved of school duties for awhile given everything else that's going on.  

He just lost tooth #5.  This is the first tooth he pulled out himself.  He seemed a little freaked out that the tooth was so loose it was ready to be pulled, then disappeared upstairs for five minutes, and returned with a big, proud, gap-toothed grin on his face.  The Tooth Fairy is generous but extremely predictable.  Henry doesn't seem to mind.  

Henry was excited to do our interview again this year.  It's funny to see what changes and what doesn't (including his sass)!

• What is your favorite color? 
• Green
• What is your favorite food? 
• Meat
• What is your favorite dinner that we cook at home?
• Steak, chicken on the bone
• What is your favorite treat? 
• I don't like sweets.  I only like healthy food.
• What is your favorite subject in school? 
• Writing journal
• What is your favorite thing to do on weekends?
• Go to Parkour
• What is your favorite movie? 
• Moana
• What is your favorite tv show? 
• Phineas and Ferb
• What is your favorite book? 
• Hatchet
• What is your favorite song? 
• Old Time Rock and Roll
• What is your favorite restaurant? 
• Convention Grill
• What is your favorite vegetable? 
• Green beans
• What is your favorite fruit? 
• Pear
• What is your favorite place to visit? 
• Rock climbing places
• Where do you WANT to visit some day? 
• Heaven [bursts out laughing]
• Who is your best friend? 
• Hersh
• What’s your favorite thing to do with Ingrid? 
• Play funny games
• What’s your favorite thing to do with Heidi? 
• Being silly with her
• What’s your favorite thing to do with Dad? 
• Skiing [he has never been skiing]
• What’s your favorite thing to do with Mom? 
• Cuddle
• What do you want to be when you grow up? 
• A downhill skier
• What is one thing you want to learn how to do? 
• Play crazy guitar
• What are you really good at?
• Parkour
• What is something that you wish for? 
• Every day was Christmas
• What is something you wonder about? 
• What the country looks like
• Who is someone that you miss? 
• Hersh
• What makes you sad? 
• Getting stitches
• What makes you happy? 
• I only get mad and crazy.  
• What would your perfect day be like?
• Sleep in, eat a dozen eggs, chop down a tree with the hatchet, have a milkshake, play video games with Dad, have snails for dinner, stay up late to watch a movie and have a root beer
• What age do you look forward to – and why?
• Sixteen so I can go to college.  

Let's set aside that he is NEVER allowed to be as old as sixteen.  He's our sweet, sensitive, gregarious, funny little sidekick.  And definitely clever as clever.  Fine with me if he is six now and forever.