Bennett is 5!!!

Well, my first "baby" boy is officially 5, and he just keeps seeming more like a big kid.  He's really really into sports lately, and I've noticed that when he falls or gets hurt, more often than not, he'll catch himself starting to cry and then stop and rub the spot he hurt instead.  He LOVES to help with things, like shoveling, cleaning, or projects.  And Bennett is the best big brother.  He'll play outside or pretend with Eleanor, and loves to play "tackle time!" with Isla.  He has also started lately to be really into trying to read, and loves trying to read Isla's bedtime books with me.  Any attention for being big, or working hard he LOVES.

Bennett is a good sleeper at night and rarely wakes up.  He sleeps 7:30-6am (ish).  Usually going to sleep takes a bit and he is getting really good at stalling techniques. :)  He doesn't really nap or do rest time anymore, because I got a little lax and have been letting him and Eleanor watch tv for rest time.  I'm hoping this summer to wean off of that and go back to actual rest time.  Bennett LOVES snacks and eats dinner okay.  Usually it takes a bit of coaxing but he'll almost always eat everything on his plate.  We started offering a small "dessert" if they eat nicely so that helps (like an m&m or something like that!).  Some of his favorite foods are pizza, tacos, and pb&j.  He loves milk still too!  For snacks he'll eat anything but often requests cheese & crackers.  I swear he could eat all day.  He'll often come home from lunch at school saying he's hungry!

Bennett is still a very thoughtful, loving and sensitive boy.  The meltdowns occur less, which is nice.  He still loves hugs and snuggles (especially before bed!), and loves making crafts, pictures, and writing for people.  He could sit and color and work on crafts for quite a long time!  He recently started loving mazes, hidden pictures, and even easy word searches.  He's also very into jokes.  For his birthday I found a card that had a knock-knock joke which said, "Orange you glad it's your birthday?!"  I bet he made me read it to him ten times before school. :)  He certainly loves to be silly and make people laugh.

Bennett still plays really well with Eleanor, and includes her just like she's a friend.  She can be a little sassy and often just grabs something from him.  His personality is such that he never just grabs it back or hits her; but cries or tells me what she did.  He has always been this way!  She's much more likely to just hit or steal something back.  It's really nice that they have each other to play with and on the few nice spring days we've had, they just go outside and pretend and dig in the dirt and ride bikes for a really long time!  Bennett got a scooter for his birthday (see how big he is?!) and she has been using it nonstop so we had to get her one too and now they ride all over the driveway together.

Bennett loves going to play places, so the week he was on spring break we did Betty Brinn Children's Museum, Kids in Motion, library storytime, playdates and Wildcard Gymnastics.  His favorite restaurants (we don't go to many) include Culvers, Chick-Fil-A and Murfs.  His favorite TV shows are PJ Masks, Rusty Rivets, and Paw Patrol...but honestly he loves TV and will watch pretty much anything.  His favorite friends are Ellie & Carson from school, and Mason, Ethan, Koyen, Isabella, Cora & Maya from church.  Although he is a good friend and will play with just about any kids around his age.  He has no problem introducing himself and joining in with kids he doesn't know either!

Bennett has a very loving spirit and listens carefully and remembers so much - even his teacher has said it's kind of crazy how she'll say something once and he remembers it!  Don't get me wrong, he can be sassy too, but in general he's a typical first child.  He loves singing worship songs and learning about Jesus.  He adores school and his teachers and classmates!  We just love our thoughtful silly boy and can't wait to watch him grow up!  He is getting so so fun and big!