Six years old

Well, Sean Sooy - you are six years old!  How did we get here?  How did it happen so quickly?  

At six:

-You can read - and quite well!  At bedtime, you prefer to be read to but sometimes I can get you to read a short book to me and Clare.

-You can write pretty well, too.  You brought home a collection of journals that you've written over the past school year and they are so neat to read through and see your progress.

-You are such a sweet boy.  I know I'm biased but your teacher has said so and so have your friends' mothers. 

-It's so neat to sit and talk with you - you come up with the most clever explanations for things and tell the best stories.

-You're wrapping up Kindergarten in three weeks and tomorrow you're going to visit a first-grade classroom for the morning to learn about being a first-grader.

-You're looking forward to going to camp this summer - swimming, playing outside, and going on field trips.

-You are desperate to lose a tooth!  Your teacher keeps a chart in her classroom of who has lost teeth and you keep me regularly updated on any new additions to the chart :-) Unfortunately, it doesn't look like any of your teeth are going anywhere anytime soon but we'll see...

-Not much has changed with your food preferences - your favorite dinner is a quesadilla and fruit (preferrably blueberries, strawberries, or cantaloupe), washed down with some almond milk.

-You love to play Legos, Star Wars, Ninja Turtles, and playing outside.  You also are getting into videogames.

-You are so good to your sister - I know she presses your buttons and can get under your skin but you are always up for playing with Clare and hanging out with Clare.

We'll go to your six year well visit in June, so we'll get your stats then.  For now, here is your picture with Winnie the Pooh:

Five

Seanybear, how are you FIVE years old already? Sometimes it feels like we just brought you home from the hospital but here you are, about to graduate from Pre-Kindergarten next week!

At five years old, you are a marvel.  You are funny, silly, sensitive, and smart as a whip.
-You are still our little storyteller and when you're not spinning tales, you are narrating every single thing you are doing.
-You are really into Legos, Star Wars, Star Wars Legos, Super Mario Brothers, reading, movies, and singing.
-You could look at books for hours and you can read dozens of "sight words" and can piece together simple phrases - you are well on your way to reading on your own!
-You like to practice writing and work in workbooks - you especially like maze books!
-You like to do arts and crafts at home and at school - you're always bringing home really neat projects from school and you go along with whatever craft Mommy whips up for you.
-You're an active little guy - when we play in the backyard, you want to play soccer, basketball, baseball, lacrosse, hide-and-go-seek, and sidewalk chalk - all in rapid succession.
-You love Clare so much but she can really push your buttons! You are so patient with her but sometimes you need reminding that she's younger than you.  But it's really neat to listen to you chat to her after you've both been tucked in for the night.
-Your appetite is very simple. Besides, water ice, fruit, cereal, grilled cheese sandwiches, yogurt, hot dogs, french fries, and plain rice cakes are among your favorite foods.  Although you've recently developed a preference for plain almond milk, so we'll keep trying new foods with you, if you want to try them, of course :-)
-You have a very strict "no kissing" policy!!  You are okay with hugs but kisses are out of the question!  But that doesn't stop me from giving you tons of kisses after you're sleeping! hehehe
-We love you Seanybear and can't wait to see what this summer will bring!

Four and a Half

Since we celebrated Clare's half birthday in the last post, it's only fair to give Seanybear his moment with Pooh Bear:

Sean doesn't have to go for a well visit at four-and-a-half, but he will go with us to Clare's well visit to get a flu shot! How much I am looking forward to that doctors' visit during which both kids will get shots? Maybe a trip for ice cream will be in order - just the cone for Sean, though - ice cream is "too cold" for him.

At 4.5 years old:
-Sean knows all his letters and numbers. He has already learned a whole bunch of "sight" words such as "we", "you", and "the".  He gets very excited when he can point these words out at booktime before bed.
-Sean absolutely loves to do puzzles, work in workbooks for handwriting and simple math, and doing dot-to-dots!
-He loves to sing songs and make up his own silly lyrics to songs we already know.
-He puts a lot of pressure on himself to be the fastest runner, highest jumper, and best listener.  He gets very disappointed in himself when he's not first or "the winner."  We chalk it up to being Four and having the world be very black and white.  We're trying to help him find the gray areas.
-Sean's involvement in soccer has taught him a lot about organized sports - good listening, playing well with others, and trying hard.  He's taken a lot of interest lately in paying attention to professional games on TV, much to the delight of Thom John. :-)
-His new phrase when I ask him to do something is, "Alright."  Which is such a change from his standard toddler-era responses of "no!" and "why?"  Don't get me wrong, he still asks "why?" quite often, but usually when it's appropriate since he's so curious!
-Sean randomly calls us "Mom" and "Dad" instead of "Mommy" and "Daddy" and it kind of freaks me out.
-Oh my goodness, Sean is a great talker.  He can tell the wildest stories and thinks of the best names for his stuffed animals.  Sean's Pre-K teacher told me she loves to hear him talk and wants to take him out to lunch one day just so she can have a long, uninterrupted conversation with him and hear all the things he has to say :-)
-Sean doesn't go to the doctor for a well visit for this "half birthday" but we measured him on our height chart at about 3ft 7in.

Four.

Seanybear, you turned four yesterday. You've had this milestone in your mind for a while now because you equate being four with being "bigger" which would put you in charge around here :-) In fact, you're so excited to get bigger that today you asked me how many days it will take for you turn five!

 

Let's see ... at four years old:

-You know all your letters by sight and sound and can figure out how words are spelled by listening to them spoken. You love to practice writing by tracing words that are written and working in work books.

-You can count "up to really high numbers" and can even do simple math.

-You love to read books and you get so excited when it's time to go to the library. We always leave the library with a tote bag stuffed with books about superheroes, trucks, animals, Thomas the Tank Engine, Curious George, and outer space.

-A typical weekend is spent playing soccer, eating snacks, running around outside and inside, building, napping, watching tv or a movie (or both!), and generally being silly.

-You are very curious and it's neat to be with you while you work things out in your brain - usually by asking "Why?"

-You try very hard to be a good listener, but sometimes it's hard to keep your listening ears on.

-You absolutely love your little sister, Baby Clare - especially now that she's older and can keep up with you!

-Eating is hit or miss with you these days, but I know we'll hear no complaints with PB&J, grilled cheese, yogurt, fruit, milk and cereal, waffles, pancakes, and quesadillas.

-It is so fun to sit and chat with you and hear what's on your mind, listen to the stories you have to tell, and help you figure out how to interpret the world around you.

-You're very independent and like to be a "big kid", but sometimes you just want to sit on Mommy's lap or have Daddy carry you around - and we love that :-)

 

And here are your Winnie photos at four years old, you sweet, silly boy:

"Baby Clare can sit here, too!"

Measuring you and Clare on the growth chart -
You're showing Clare how many notches she needs to "get" before she catches up to you

Three Years

Sean Sooy, you turned three years old yesterday! How can this be? It feels like not too long ago YOU were the giggling, drooling, babbling baby in the house. But today you seem more like a little boy than a toddler. Here are some things about our little buggins at three:

- You love books! You love to be read to and you love to leaf through books by yourself. Each time we read a book that is new to you, we must read it twice so you can really absorb it. You run through cycles of favorites but Curious George stories are a solid favorite.

-You love to eat! You love fruit, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, milk and cereal, and pancakes. You also love anything that is called a "treat." You switch between drinking from a sippy cup and a "big boy cup" - no problem.

-You can count to twenty, but sometimes leave out 14 or 17 (but who needs those numbers, anyway?). You can also count to ten in Spanish and know many words in Spanish - mostly colors, shapes, and comments on the times of day and weather.

-You can tell amazing stories! You mix up bits of books and movies with things from your memories and imagination and come up with really amusing tales.

-We're neck deep in the "terrible twos" and some days it feels like having something of a "Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde" thing going on with you. One minute we're having a great time and then all heck breaks loose. I think you try so hard to keep your "listening ears" and "helping hands" on, but they can they fall off so easily! No matter what though, at the end of the day, we put you to bed with a big hug and a kiss.

-You love your baby sister. You love to show her new things and sing songs to her. You'll share your toys and even sometimes your food with her. In the morning, you call out to her from your crib and you'll jump up and down on your mattress and laugh hysterically when she tries to do the same in her crib.

-As for TV and movies - Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, Finding Nemo, Toy Story, and Aladdin are some of your favorites. Most recently we've seen "Monsters, Inc." and you loved that, too!

-You are such an active boy - always busy busy busy. On the weekends I feel like we have a little puppy again in that I have to think of ways to wear you out so you can get to bed soundly.

-You are very independent - you need to at least try to do things by yourself. This can add to your being such a good helper. You like to climb into your carseat by yourself, you like to try to get your self dressed and undressed, and you like to help me cook. We made pancakes for breakfast yesterday and you did ALL the mixing! I just had to add the ingredients and you stirred, stirred, stirred!

-Alrighty, we did Winne photos and at first you were reluctant, but I was able to coax a grin from you eventually...

Quarterly report?

Back in July, I thought that every three months I would publish a post comparing the Sooy Babies' Winnie photos.  But I was late posting the first one in September and accidently skipped the second one.  Whoopsie.  So here's a comparison of Winnie photos for months five through nine!

Five months:

Sean at six months (18 lbs 9 oz, and 27 in tall)

Clare at six months (19 lbs 6 oz and 27.25 in tall)

Seven months:

Eight months:

And nine months... Sean (20 lbs 10 oz and 28 in tall)

Clare (22 lbs 7.5 oz and 29.25 in tall)

Side-by-side

Yay! A post of my favorite Winnie photos in one spot, so I don't have to click around so much while I get my Sooy Babies fix:

One week:

Sean at one month (9lbs 12oz, 23.5 in):

Clare at one month (8lbs 3.8 oz, 22.25 in):

Sean at two months (11lbs 13oz, 23.75 in):

Clare at two months (12lbs, 23 in): 

Three months:

Sean at four months (15lbs 4oz, 24.75 in):

Clare at four months (16lbs 10 oz, 26.5 in):

Two!

Happy Birthday, Sean! You're TWO!! It seems that quite suddenly, our Baby Sean is a running, jumping, talking toddler with opinions and preferences. There are so many things you love to do - reading books, playing outside, eating, cuddling, making crafts, just to name a few. You're learning something new everyday - you know lots of shapes, the names of many many animals, most colors, the days of the week and you can count to ten. You're also learning to take turns, use nice hands, and to say "please" and "thank you." We love listening to your constant chatter - it's fun to listen to you as you talk to your stuffed animals in your crib every morning.

The chatter continued during your birthday photo shoot with Winnie and special guest, Grover:

We had a special dinner for your birthday with Mama Jackie, Pop-Pop-Pop, Aunt Aunt Alice and Uncle Gio, and your Grandmommie. At the end of dinner, there was a birthday cake just for Sean:

"I like cake!" you exclaimed to the dinner table: