Luke Vanoy, Six Years Old

This kid.

I'm not even sure how to begin.

I guess I should start by saying that I tried to convince him to stay in Kindergarten forever, and he refused. Then I tried to trick him into thinking he wouldn't have a birthday this year, but he didn't believe me, even for one second.

I'm so glad he's growing up. And I hate it, too. He's my first baby, after all! (Lord help me when Andrew turns six!)

I don't know what it is about six. It's a big number, a big age. It is a boy who no longer qualifies as "preschool" in any form or fashion. A boy who can read and do math and even a little multiplication and who suddenly values coloring in the lines and making a picture "realistic." A boy who makes his own oatmeal for breakfast each morning and who watches his baby brother any time I need to be out of the room (only occasionally taking the opportunity to deviously coax the infant towards the stairs or the garage or some other off-limits locale). A boy who listens carefully to my meandering explanations of ephemera about the Texas judicial system or what it means to "retire." A boy who really does look like his dad. A boy whose long skinny legs seem to stick further and further out of those mesh shorts he always wears.

A boy who bosses his sister around but also treasures her companionship. A boy who smother-loves his 8-month-old brother and who can not comprehend my reasons for insisting that he not wrestle with Andrew at every opportunity. A boy who likes being around his mom and dad, and who still crawls into bed with us most mornings after he wakes up (at the crack of dawn, I might add).

Six is a boy who helps out around the house without too much complaining, but who has also discovered that he prefers playing with action figures to pushing a vacuum. Six is a boy who puts away his own clothes, but is most motivated when he can race his sister (or time) in the process. Six is even a boy who eats all his dinner some evenings - occasionally, without complaint. 

This kid really does make us so proud. And although I can't believe how quickly it happens, I love nothing better than to watch him grow. Taller, smarter, kinder, wiser, more loving, more thoughtful, more curious. 

I have enjoyed seeing him overcome new challenges this year - adjusting to school and homework, learning that some friends aren't very good friends, finding out what it means to have a new baby in this house. He has also faced a few things that a lot of five-year-olds don't deal with, like when a sweet friend's daddy became very, very sick, and how it taught him to pray for people an ocean away.

This summer, Luke will treasure the days of lazy mornings, extra "screen time," and visits to the pool. He will play with his new Star Wars action figures and his Legos, and he'll play with anything that Sarah or Andrew have as well. He will test the strength of our playset with his swinging, and he'll teach his siblings how to really become one with the sand in the sandbox. He will pressure me to take them to the zoo and to the museum, and he'll be thrilled when we have friends over to play. And although he will probably complain about school starting again in the fall (and once again ask me to number the days before the next break), I know that he will be relieved to be back in a regular schedule with friends his age and new challenges for his mind and body. After that, I can't begin to imagine what the next year may have in store. But I'm so glad to be along for the ride.

I love this kid. Happy birthday, sweet Luke!