5

I'm amazed that 5 years has gone by. How in the world is it that we have a 5 year old? The old adage is true "the days go slowly, but the years fly by". This past year has been anything but easy for Joshua as he had to adjust to not being the center of attention, the be all and end all. Let me tell you what a hard thing that is for an only child of 4 years! We've gone through a spectrum of emotions and trials with Joshua over this past year and have really seen some great growth in him! His stubborn streak still runs strong (hmm, wonder where he gets that from) which causes us to butt heads a lot. When he chooses to be Joshua can be a very kind, caring and sweet little boy. He is curious about everything and is therefore constantly asking question after question. He loves school and is excited to start Kindergarten in the fall (oh and ride the bus with his friends too). He is pretty independent these days too when it comes to dressing, cleaning up, eating, etc (much more than we could have imagined). He is slowly realizing that it's better for everyone if he is kind to Matthew instead of terrorizing him - I'm quick to remind Joshua that someday Matthew will pay him back for all he's done. At this age Joshua loves to play outside, draw and color, build with anything he gets his hands on, do puzzles and create with anything. We are proud of the growth we have seen and will continue to work to strengthen those areas of weakness. Despite some challenges Joshua has been a blessing in our lives and we are thankful for him!