The Wilkinson Family Blog: May 2015

I am a month behind telling you all about this big day - Grady turning five! So it's high time I tell you about it.

Grady is in the midst of his prime birthday years. He was so excited for his birthday, especially after seeing Theo and Clara get celebrated before him. For this birthday he wanted shrinky dinks, a how-to-draw coloring book and a backpack like Diego from a tv show. Done, done and done. He also wanted to have quesadillas and mashed potatoes for dinner.

CHEESE

Everyone likes to help open presents

Rescue packs

Rather than have a birthday party this year, Grady chose to have a sleepover - his first - with his two best friends, Liam and Clyde. They had a lot of fun - tacos for dinner, two trips to the playground, a movie and popcorn, pancakes, and up until 11:30 and up at 5:30. So we even got a nap out of Grady the next day. Clara got to have a sleepover with Theo, and Matt and I weren't so traumatized by it that we wouldn't do it again. Although maybe one kid at a time next time around.

Best friends off to the playground

All 3 slept up there - to the extent they slept

I love getting the chance to celebrate Grady because he is such an amazing kid. He is thoughtful and tries to do the right thing. He is serious but also seriously silly. He thinks the world of his sister and brother. He works really hard at the things he wants to get good at. For instance, he will draw a picture of a dragon over and over until he gets it just how he wants it. He appreciates a good poop joke. He bears the injustice of being the oldest without much complaint. He is an incredibly good, funny, loyal, smart and careful kid. We are so lucky to have him.

The other big thing we did this month was that I took the kids for a one day trip to the coast. The Oregon coast is uniformly windy and cold, no matter how hot it is just 500 yards inland. Clara and I were shivering, but Grady was in his element. I will be shocked if this kid doesn't end up living by the ocean when he gets older. We braved the wind and played in the sand a bit, visited a nearby arcade, chose a piece of candy and had lunch at the pig n pancake. It was a special day.

Everyone doing their own thing

Being a good sport on this windy day

Ladybugs are not impervious to the wind

Arcade break

Theo comes along for the ride

Theo likes food not just on his plate but surrounding it as well

Last trip back to the beach for Grady - he did not want to leave

A quick update on the kids. Theo is still not walking, but is just starting to free stand. He's still not super confident about it, but will go a few seconds before realizing he's not holding onto anything and then sit down. He's cruising confidently while holding on. I'm guessing in another month he'll be freestanding confidently and walking at some point this summer. His personality continues to emerge and he is just a total delight. He loves to make jokes and make people laugh. He also loves food. I mean it, he really, really loves food.

Clara has another month to go at her current school before heading over to Grady's school, starting with summer camp. She is starting to skip naps with increasing frequency, so there have been some, er, mood swings. She's working on writing letters and practicing yoga moves. She is also a total stitch. Between her and Theo, we are doing a lot of laughing in this house.

Grady is doing great at school and loves spending time with his friends. He has been asking lots of really good questions that I have no idea how to answer - how do trees know how to grow leaves, for instance. He has recently written a few books about a space robot and his friend the green octopus. They are legitimately awesome.

And here are a few more pictures to catch you up on the past month.