Isaac is 6!!

 I don't know what crafty magic has caused time to move forward at uncomfortable, unbelievable speeds. But Isaac is 6 years old. It just doesn't seem possible that he's moved on from being able to show you how old he is with just one hand. Now he needs 2. It's sorcery or something. 

Isaac has done Pre-K this year at the same school he was at last year. He's come a long way, too! He's starting to sound out words and does his reading homework really well. He is the oldest kid in his class, and his teachers can tell. They told me he's definitely a leader, and they can count on him to be on task. I've taught Pre-K. I know that's not true of A LOT of boys this age. It was a big bummer for me to not be able to have any involvement in his class at all due to Covid. I'm thankful he was able to go to school, but it made for a different year. 

Isaac is still my tender hearted kid, sometimes overly sensitive. It's hard to figure out if in certain situations he truly feels things more deeply or if he's milking it. Right now, empathy is not hard for him. Something I hope we can foster in him as he gets older. I'm convinced at least half of his tearful outbursts are because his feelings are hurt, not his body. 

Speaking of which- the kid is rock solid! We joke that his spirit animal is a rhino. When he runs at you full force, brace yourself or move out of his way! If we let our kids play football, he could really be a star. He weighs only 2 pounds less than Nolan, and he loves that! He is perpetually trying to hang with Nolan at everything. It will not surprise me if he is a good athlete. He LOVED playing soccer this spring, and he's got the tenacity to be quite the force on the field. It's so fun to watch him play. I looked forward to it each week. 

Isaac still loves baking with me. He's really getting good at it, too. He helps me enough that when I ask him what ingredient is next, he probably has a good guess. He loves cracking the eggs the most!

All in all, Isaac is an easy kid. So fun, so enthusiastic, so generally happy! He goes with the flow. He adapts when necessary. He is quick to help. I am nervous that I see some people pleasing tendencies in him, but I know that I'm also very sensitive to middle children. But he does get upset when he knows I'm disappointed. I have to be really careful with how I react to simple mistakes because he overreacts to them. He's watched some struggles we've had with Nolan and makes an effort to NOT do those things. While the thought of having a kid who wants to make me happy is alluring, I know that under that could be a lot of insecurity. I've got my eye on that one! 

Isaac ADORES Elliana. He mentions her cuteness multiple times a day, and he is just thrilled to have her around. She is getting to the age that she can annoy him by messing up his play space, but for the most part, he delights in her and every thing she does. When he comes to me crying, he quickly also looks for Elliana for a hug. I'm not sure whose hug is more comforting- hers or mine. 

Isaac Dean- the kid who had the "best day ever" at least 100 times in the past year. He loves big (and hard!) and is easy to enjoy! I can't believe kindergarten is on the horizon for that kid!