FIVE years old!

 Naomi Irene, you are five years old today! I am having a hard time accepting that my baby is 5! How can this be? 

- You enjoy participating in school with your siblings! You're tracing letters and numbers, completing mazes, playing with playdough, playing ABC Mouse, listening to many, many books, doing a few reading lessons, cutting pictures, taking a few piano lessons, and more things I can't think of right now. You are very sharp with numbers. On your own you're skip counting, adding quickly, and seem to understand it all in your head quite easily. I will be curious to see how this progresses. 

- You are shy. When we go to new places, you want to stick close to your family. It takes you a long time to warm up to new people before you'll actually talk to them or even look them directly in the eye. You are starting to give hugs to more people! 

- You like to help me in the kitchen -- measuring, pouring, mixing. You complete one-minute chores around the house such as taking laundry to the hampers, putting away shoes and books, putting away the silverware from the dishwasher, and you are learning how to wash dishes! 

- You like to play outside, although you prefer to be with others when you do. I will occasionally see you outside alone, but it's rare. You like to swing. You do well on our nature hikes (we walked for 2 miles yesterday!). You're becoming interested in frogs and bugs, whereas before they made you scream and run away. You are riding your balance bike well and can keep up with your older siblings on our family walks each Sunday.  

- Some of your favorite foods are -- honey nut cheerios, frosted flakes, plain potato chips, honey mustard chicken, fries, pasta, roast, steak, and strawberries. You don't like food that is too spicy or overly flavorful. This morning for breakfast I made you chocolate donuts with pink frosting, yogurt parfaits, and hot cocoa. For your birthday dinner tonight we're having pasta, green beans, lemonade, red velvet cake, and strawberry ice cream! 

- You like to do things in your own time and own way. At night you like to shower by yourself and take your time. You don't like to be rushed because you'll totally shut down into a small, mute brick that won't do anything. Which is tricky when we're trying to get out the door and get ready for bed. 

- We went camping in September at Wallace State Park and you had fun catching little frogs beside the lake. You did a great job playing outside, riding bikes, and enduring the yellow jackets that joined us for every meal! You had fun in the canoe with Daddy too! 

- As with your older siblings, I am now finding many of your selfies on my phone! You enjoy taking pictures, mostly of yourself, but I find some of other people as well :) 

- You had your face painted at the Fall Fun Night at Weston Red Barn farm. You chose the ice princess pattern and sat very still while she completed the look. It looked great! 

- You have recently begun to ask again when you'll get to take dance class. You wear tap shoes around the house, love listening to music and dancing, you jump off of things, spin, work on moves you've learned at dance class, and more! I can see that's in just in your bones. 

- On November 6, we took you and Zoe out for your birthday movie. We saw "Lyle, Lyle Crocodile" and it was very good! It was a clean, funny movie for all of us. You laughed out loud at several spots and were at the edge of your seat! Now we're listening to the soundtrack on Spotify at home. 

Birthday Interview: 11/11/22 

What is your favorite color? "Black and a little bit of yellow, but just a little since I have a yellow head band.. and pink! And... another color which is, blue." 

... movie? "Lyle, Lyle Crocodile" 

... TV show? "Gabby's Dollhouse: 

... book? "Curious George" 

... fruit? "Strawberries" 

... animal? "Oooh! *thinking with her finger to her mouth* That one's a hard one..." *she can't seem to come up with one. 

... song? "The baking one (from Lyle, Lyle Crocodile) 'Rip up the Recipe'" 

... thing to eat? "Pizza" 

... thing to do every day? "Play!" 

... about Zoe? "That she plays with me." 

... about Levi? "About he plays with me too." 

... about Zeke? "I don't know." 

... about Mommy? "About you bake."   

... about Daddy? "Oooh, about him goes to work and gets money." 

Who is your best friend? "Ooooh, my bestest friend... can it be one in my family? *whispers* Zoe" 

What do you want to be when you grow up? "Oooh, a baker!" 

What do you like most about school? "About I get to do mazes!" 

What are you looking forward to about being 5? "About I get new clothes cause the other ones are too small. But I can't fit them." 

Naomi, you are so loved! You bring joy and laughter to our family. You are my calming goat. Over the past year, you've told me countless times "I love you Mommy!", at least daily. You would alternate with different versions such as "I love you a latte!" :) and "I love you SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much!" You tell us you want to be a mommy when you grow up and have lots of babies. This year we are doing a baby/doll birthday party. You love to feed and dress and take care of all your dolls and you'll be getting a new stroller and bunk bed to add to your collection. You like to snuggle and cuddle with me at bedtime. You still whisper to me that you need me to put your blanket back on in the middle of the night. I love your beautiful, curly hair and hope that it gets easier to brush it at night! You like to kiss me on the lips and your sweet, little lips are pretty dry right now. I ask you if you want chapstick and you tell me no. *ha ha!*