Joey is Five!

Even though his favorite color is red, Joey has decided it's okay to be True Blue.  He picked a BYU football cake, which was fun and easy.

We had some family over, and some family Skype.  And he got to open lots of presents!

He had so much fun with all of them. 

Mike and I have been so impressed with Joey.  He seems to have turned the corner from being a baby to a big boy.  He doesn't whine, he doesn't ask why, he just gets things done.  He is becoming independent and helpful.  I love to see him putting together his own lunch.  Sometimes he packs a variety of fun items, often asking if he has packed everything from the food groups yet.  Other times he starts pulling out the fixings for a quesadilla or peanut butter sandwich when he's hungry.  He is an incredible older brother to Braden and Nelson.  They adore him, and want to play everything he plays, sometimes to his chagrin.  But most times, they get along so well, and I am so happy Joey can be a part of their lives.

Joey is very good at dressing up.  The other day he decided to be a police, but he doesn't have a police uniform, so he worked with what he had and put together a "detective" rank outfit, complete with slacks, tie, hat, and investigative folder and pen for info.

Just the other day, we showed him that he could read.  He didn't really know he could read, but after seeing him spell, I knew he could read.  He was pretty impressed, and excited, and waiting for me to take him to the library for some more "emerging reader" type books.  It's exciting stuff.  I love this particular milestone!

I hate to admit it, but sometimes, I get irritated with his process of learning.  He will ask for help spelling a word, but refuses to tell me what word he is spelling.  So, he'll ask, "how do you spell oo."  And I'll say, "it depends on what word you're spelling.  It could be ew, or ou, or oo."  And so he'll say the sound much more definitively, as if I will be able to figure out exactly which spelling of oo he should use.  I'll get to the point where I'll say, "just tell me what word you're trying to spell!" and he'll refuse, letting me know that he just needs helps with sounds, not entire words.  In the end, I recognize the miracle that is occurring in this little guy's brain, and I get over it.

I am coaching his T-ball team with Mike this year, and my very, very favorite part, is to watch Joey run from third base to home.  He has the most amazing smile the entire time!  I love it.  I want to bring my camera to capture it, but I wonder if that would be to un-coach-like.

Joey is awesome!  I can't wait to be a part of his life as a kindergartner, and a teenager, and a Dad!