Six Years Old!

Ezekiel, you are six years old today! What a fun year we've had with you! Here's what you're up to:

- You are such a great helper, especially with your younger siblings. You help me by getting diapers and wipes for Naomi and are learning how to change a diaper! You help Zoë go potty. You clean off the table after meals and set the table, you sometimes wash dishes, clean the kitchen floor, hold Naomi and feed her bottles.

Christmas morning 2017 

Christmas eve we made rice krispie treats and dipped them in white almond bark and sprinkled with green sprinkles! It was a fun project I think we'll do again next year!

- You have begun some Kindergarten studies :) Everyday we look at the calendar and weather. You are learning addition, sight words, the sound of letters, and practice reading Level 1 reading books. In science we have studied about the first 2 days of creation and done several experiments based on dark/light/sunshine and water and wind. We've read about 3 missionaries during read-aloud time: Gladys Aylward, Hudson Taylor, and Nate Saint. We have studied the world map and made a map of "Zeke's World", talked about the United States Flag and listened to some traditional patriotic songs, studied traffic signs and symbols and are now working on character traits such as Courteous Communication and Self-Control. This spring we're going to work more on unit studies that focus on a theme for each month and study all of the subjects within the theme. I think it's going to be really fun!

Getting pretty comfortable holding babies :) 

Your first handicraft -- weaving potholders! 

- As much as ever, you love lights, strings, electricity, discovering how things work together. You received a marble maze for Christmas and you love configuring it in different ways to see how the marbles fall through. You want to get the stunt package to add on to it next. You also love to watch "Scott's marble runs" on youtube.

- When the weather is nice, we try to spend as much time outside as possible! You have begun climbing more and are getting more comfortable with Marshall. You like to dig with your construction vehicles and helped me plant tulip bulbs in the fall. I hope they come up for us!

Breakfast at the Big Biscuit with Mommy 

- You have begun learning to cook a few things -- pasta and sauce and cookies and have made sandwiches for us a few times. We bought you your first Raddish Kids kit and I'm very excited! It's a box full of recipes and equipment to make a meal based around a theme. The one we chose for you is called Hometown Diner. If you like it, we hope to sign you up for a monthly subscription because we want to teach you some of these practical skills that you'll use for the rest of your life. Feeding yourself and others is a pretty important one!

You loved your ice cream! 

-Before we moved back to KC, you had one of your wishes granted -- you took a month of golf lessons! You had been asking since you were 4, and then once the weather turned nice the Chilson Center offered lessons. On the last day your family was invited to come and play with you. It was a little crazy, but we all got ice cream afterwards :) While we were there, Daddy was loading up the moving van with a couple friends.

Amelia's 1st birthday at Grandma's house 

- You only nap once or twice a week and have become such a great sleeper (oh, how I prayed for this during your first year of life when I didn't think you'd ever sleep!). You like to go to bed around 9 pm and get up around 7-8 am. Occasionally sleeping until 9 am!

- You are still taking piano lessons, but have slowed a bit with Naomi's birth and the holidays. Hopefully we can get things started back up and you'll finish up your first set of books very soon! Your favorite song to play over Christmas break was Jingle Bells.

- You seem to enjoy science and engineering and experiments; we are trying to foster that in you and provide you with lots of opportunities to do just that! This is one of our favorite things about homeschooling because we can discover and focus on your passions and hopefully you'll learn about and excel at your natural giftings and grow up being confident in what you want to do as a grown-up!

- You like to tell jokes. Your grandparents are great at giving you new material in the cards they send to you. We have looked up a few at home too when we get tired of the interrupting cow :) You like to make some up on your own too.

Last year's birthday movie date 

Birthday Interview: 1/24/18

What is your favorite food? Raspberry Smoothies

What is your favorite movie? Octonauts

Favorite Drink: Orange juice

Favorite Color: Pink

Favorite Song: "Listening to "Trolls" while jumping on the trampoline."

Things to do: "Play with my marble run set and playing with Levi's airplane together."

Favorite Outfit: "My thinking outfit." {interpretation: his shirt with the light bulb on it}

Favorite Outing: "Play outside."

What do you like about Daddy? "That he makes fish tanks."

Mommy? "Playing with each other and being with each other."

Levi? "I really like him sharing his airplane {helicopter}."

Zoë? "That I help her with stuff and I help her go to the bathroom and being with Zoë."

Naomi? "That I'm going to almost change her diaper! And that I feed her milk."

Summer or Winter? "I like playing in the snow." 

Anything Else? "I {would} really like my birthday cake to be pretty." 

Our dear, sweet Ezekiel, what a wonderful boy you are! Quick to forgive and let us know you still love us, even when we make mistakes on you -- our experimental child ;) Thanks for letting us learn how to be parents with you. You are thoughtful, kind, and introspective and you seem to enjoy running! You say "Yes, Mommy" or "Of course!" when I ask you to do things for me which I really appreciate. You chose strawberry cupcakes with a Paw Patrol theme for your birthday this year and I think it's going to be a lot of fun! We are hoping you to take you to "Paddington 2" for your birthday movie and Pizza Ranch for lunch, but we will have to see how you're feeling because you've been pretty sick all week :( We love you very much and look forward to the year ahead! Love, Mommy