I wev him, too

Yesterday, my 5-year-old Kanyon said to me, "Mom, wanna know the difference between oi-o and o-we-o? Oi-o is what you put in cars, and o-we-o is the black & white cookies that we eat." I love his cute little speech, and the way that he pronounces some of his sounds and words!

He calls semi trucks "somebody" trucks, and sometimes when we're driving, he'll point out the somebody trucks that are angry, and the somebody trucks that are happy. The angry trucks have squareish fronts and look grumpy, and the happy trucks have more roundish fronts and seem to be smiling. I love the way he thinks and looks at life!

We were working on New Year's goals the other night at Family Home Evening, and I was trying to help Kanyon make realistic goals for himself for 2013. He will be 6 next month, and I was giving him ideas for what the other boys were able to do at the age of 6. So I said to him "I think one of your goals should be doing chores all by yourself". He instantly replied "no. that's too hard for me. Maybe...I can just do only wash windows by myself". I should explain--when I was teaching him how to do chores this last summer, that was his favorite chore to do by himself. I explained to him that goals are supposed to help us improve and be better, and since he already knew how to wash windows by himself, he didn't need to make that be a goal. I said "Maybe you could clean your room by yourself this year". He said "no. that's too hard for me". I said "Maybe you could do your own laundry this year". He said "no. that is too hard for me. I can only wash windows by myself". So I gave up giving him ideas.

Kanyon is a super smart little boy, and is constantly fascinated with mathematical equations. One day a few months ago, he stated aloud math additions from 1-100 in sequential order (what's 1+1, then 2+1, then 3+1, etc. all the way to 99+1). When we are sitting in the car driving to or from town, he will frequently quiz me on math. "Mom, what's one plus seven?" When I tell him the answer is 8, then he will come up with a different addition problem that equals the same answer, like "Mom, what's five plus three?". He's been doing bigger problems lately in his head that are in the twenties and hundreds. and asking me the answer to make sure that he has it right. I'm always amazed at how good he is at math at just the age of 5, and sometimes I'm dumb-struck as to what makes him think up unique math questions at the strangest of times.

His teacher Mrs. Foote told me this week that Kanyon scored the highest points of any kindergartner in the school on the IRI (Idaho Reading Indicator) test they just completed. I love listening to him try to read and sound out words. This week at bedtime I read him a book, and I had him read the small and easy words to me. I loved listening to him sound out the letters and words, and it made me so happy to just listen to him. He wrote me a card at school the other day. He sounded out the letters in his head, and wrote his own words "I wev tolman". After he gave me the card, I was trying to figure it out. He said "Mom, how do you spell 'wuv'?". I told him "L-O-V-E". "Oh", he replied. He then pointed to each word on the card and said, "I...wuv...Mrs. Tolman". (I teach him music at school, and Mrs. Foote had all the class write or draw thank you cards to me--which is why he didn't write the word 'mom'). My heart instantly melted. I love that little boy!

It's both difficult and rewarding to watch your youngest child age. I relish in each of his developmental stages more because I know he's our last. Kanyon has had some developmental difficulties, so I am especially grateful for the things he's able to achieve and accomplish, and sometimes I think "I'm glad that's the last time we'll have to go through that", and on that same note, sometimes I'm sad to think "that's the last time we'll experience that". Like for instance, with potty training, I was happy that was the last time I had to go through it, and with teaching chores, I will be glad to not have to do spend the long time it takes to teach each chore again. But with half-days of kindergarten learning, I'm sad to know this is the last time I will have a son in kindergarten. And with listening to his speech develop properly, leaving behind the cute toddler words, I will be sad to know that I won't hear my child speak that way again.