Adam Update

With all the attention Sam's been getting lately with his speech therapy, I feel like I haven't updated you all on Adam in some time. At 4 1/2, Adam has been so busy being Adam! He is so full of energy and imagination.

Lately, his favorite show is American Ninja Warrior. If you don't have boys in your house and are not aware of this program, it's a competition where men and women attempt to complete an obstacle course that requires crazy strength and agility, and for the last few weeks, since first seeing the show, Adam runs around our house climbing up and over the furniture and racing to the buzzer. He knows many of the competitors, and even the various obstacles, by name. He runs pretend courses and makes up names of other people racing so they can be introduced. When his cousin Emma was in town, the two of them built an American Ninja Warrior course in the basement, complete with their own version of the Warped Wall.

1st day of Pre-K, 2014

Maybe it's in part due to the show, but Adam is becoming much more the daredevil. Last night he made me catch my breath when he leapt from about 7 steps up, down to the bottom. Michael tells me I'd better get used to it.

Adam is very observant and absorbs everything, and we love that he's in a school that teaches him so much. He can name the planets, and knows which one has rings and which is the smallest and which is no longer a planet. He knows his Reds players and what numbers they wear. He knows about 20 different country flags and can tell you that Italy and Mexico are similar except that Mexico has an eagle on its flag. Last night Michael spilled a drink in the kitchen and at first glance Adam said the spill looked like Russia. We had to look at each other and agree. Adam frequently uses specific shapes to describe things (pentagon, octagon, etc) and the other day he asked if he could have a "cylinder cheese" (string cheese that is indeed in the shape of a cylinder). Lately he's noticed that cars have makes designated on them. He'll say, "That one's made out of Dodge."

This week he moved up to the next classroom (and last before Kindergarten!), and we are excited for him to have more exposure to writing. His reading has always been advanced, and in his last classroom his teacher was sending him to the older class to read. I love that when he reads books aloud he reads with inflection, emphasizes all capital words, is aware of when quotes are used for dialog, and applies appropriate sound to questions. Combine the reading with his strong observations skills, he's a chatterbox in the car as he reads aloud all the various signs. He loves books and every night when I check on him in bed I have to remove a handful of them from under his sleeping body. Lately, Curious George is his favorite.

He is continuing with his swim lessons, and I don't know how much he's getting out of the classes because he sure looks like he's having a blast in his own little world. He's picked up skills such as floating and kicking but still working on stroke.

Common phrases these days involve never. As in, I never get to go to the playground. Or, I've never been to the park before. (Honestly, he does and has!) He also likes to race and will challenge you to whoever gets to the mailbox wins! I haven't informed him that he is omitting the "first." This age is full of excitement and wonder, and it makes me smile to hear him say, "Oh boy!" when I tell him his dinner is ready, or "They're so beautiful!" when he sees deer near our home.

He continues to love baseball and having us pitch to him. Aunt Angie got him a real T-ball tee so he can now play on his own. He loves to toss the bat, run the bases and slide into home ("just like Pete Rose!"). A few occasions we've joined the neighbors in a real backyard game. We love where we live.

The most beautiful thing to watch him do is play with Sam. The two love to {gently} wrestle and chase each other around the house. Sam likes to be playing wherever Adam is, though this can sometimes be a frustration for Adam when Sam wants to grab his cars and trucks. (And oh, do we have plenty of those in the house! He still loooooves his cars. Currently it's a garbage truck that, he'll tell you, says Sanitation and Recycling. And on Friday mornings he will jump out of bed and dash to the window at the first sound of the garbage truck). If you tell Sam to "get him", he'll tentatively fall on Adam and laugh, or Adam will start a pillow fight with him or run the house with Sam close at his heels.

Next year at this time we'll be prepping Adam for Kindergarten, and (I say this now) I think I'll be ready to see him off. He has so much learning he wants to do and we hope he is always so eager. I love listening to the conversations he has in his room with his toys. This little boy has my whole heart!

See, he has been to the park!