Six

Turning six was a very big deal to Jackson.

It's not like we'd put any major emphasis on that particular year.  But I suppose the fact that we went to Disney World the week before (If you ask him, that was his birthday party/present.  It was not. I wish we could celebrate in such high fashion every year!) might have played into it, but I really think it's because he knows he's going to kindergarten now that he's six. Or because he's going to lose a tooth (or five) while he's six. Or because he's just growing up.

It could also be that earlier in the year he started going to Kiwanis with my mom and now he says things like, "Boy, it looks like rain today.  We sure need the rain."  They made him an honorary member and he leads them in the pledge of allegiance each week.  No I'm not kidding. He's a 65 year old man in a 6 year old body. :)

Because of the Disney trip, his party (and Sadie's party for that matter...I am definitely no threat for taking Mother of the Year from anyone this year...) was delayed...so those pics will come later.

But let me tell you about this kid. He is my master inventor. Everything and anything can be turned into an experiment.  He got a science kit for Christmas and it was one of his favorite gifts ever.  He also loves Legos, and goes back and forth between wanting to be a scientist and an architect when he grows up (we're pushing architect, ha!).

He's learning to overcome his fears.  He is working on overcoming his fear of going underwater.  He's pretty successfully whipped his fear of large animal costumes (think Chuck E. Cheese, school mascots, etc). He touched a boa constrictor at the gator farm, and he was willing to hold this:

He loves school.  We kept him out of kindergarten for one more year, and boy, did it make a difference. He is so much more mature now. It helps that his best buds were still at Sunshine Friends as well. :) He knows his letters, his sounds, and he pretty much taught himself to add anything that equals ten or less (in his head, which I think is pretty cool, even if it doesn't put him in the freakin' genius echelon).

He loves his sisters, even if he won't admit it.  Sadie is totally his partner in crime, and they play together so well 99.9% of the time.  And every once in a while he will just look at Annabelle, shake his head and laugh, and say, "She is the cutest baby in the world."  Love.

And this kid is funny. At five, he hated when people laughed at him because he thought it meant they were making fun of him. But now that he's six, well, he knows and appreciates the importance of being able to make people laugh...which is awesome to me.

He is such a great kid. I am such a lucky mom.