Happy 5th Birthday, Jackson!

Today is our son's 5th Birthday. I consider this to be a Milestone Birthday because he is officially a "Big Kid" now. It seems like yesterday that I held him in my arms, would rock him to sleep, and hold his tiny hands to help him walk. Now he is independent, opinionated, and very seldom "needs" me anymore. (sigh...I miss being "needed". I have shed tears all morning long.)

He has boundless energy (except when he is watching his shows), and LOVES to play chase games around the house, or his all-time favorite, "BOO!". That's where he literally sneaks around the house when you least expect it, waits for just the right moment, and then either grabs you or just jumps out of nowhere to scare the bejeezus out of you! He finds great humor in this. I can't get too upset at this though...I started it. He's a quick-study, and certainly has managed to cause my heart to beat in my throat a few times, lol.

Sometimes he gets the sillies, and it really takes all of me not to get too frazzled, but mostly he is a complete joy, and I thank God that He has blessed us with such happiness.

He had his 5 year-old check up with his doctor last week, and he is (as always) in the 97th-99th percentile for his height and weight. He's 3' 8 3/4" tall and weighs 52 pounds. Recently, I had to go and buy more uniform pants for him because within a matter of weeks his size 5 in boys are too tight. So now he wears a 6...and a size 1 in boys shoes. He is indeed going to be a very big-boy! He also had to get FOUR shots; one of which was his flu shot, and he was none-too-pleased about that. He said to me with giant tears in his eyes, "I told you I don't like needles! Why did you let her poke me so many times?" Talk about a heart-breaker.

We also had his Parent/Teacher Conference this week, and his teacher told us that Jackson is doing amazingly well in class, and noted the night and day difference in his behavior from the Summertime to this Fall Semester. During the Summer, Jackson was getting in trouble in class, A LOT. We're talking 5 time-outs a day, kind of misbehavior! Jack and I tried to be understanding of the phases he may have been going through at that time and the emotions that all of us were feeling after we lost Sanford, our Neo-Bull Mastiff, but enough was enough and we were forced to take drastic and creative measures where his discipline was concerned. I am extremely proud to say that it has been six weeks since Jackson has had any problems at school, and he seems to really enjoy his new-found position as the "Teachers Pet".

His teacher also told us that he is really good at Math and Reading. That makes me happy because I struggled with Math when I was young. He is learning how to build a solid foundation in understanding math concepts (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) by using both concrete materials and manipulative's. He is beginning to bring home work where he is writing out each number 0-100! As far as reading goes, he is learning with a phonetic approach, and he sounds E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G out, and it is precious as can be!

I really can not give enough praise for the Montessori environment. He's been attending a Montessori School since he was 18 months old, and it truly has done wonders for his desire of learning, his self-esteem, and his socialization.

In case you don't know about the Montessori philosophy of education, it's basically the idea that all children carry within themselves the person they will become. In order to develop physical, intellectual, and spiritual potential to the fullest; the child must have freedom – a freedom to be achieved through order and self-discipline. The only valid impulse to learning is the self-motivation of the child. Children move themselves toward learning. The teachers prepare the environment, direct the activity and offer the stimulation, but it is the child who learns, who is motivated through work itself to persist in a given task. If Montessori children are free to learn, it is because they have acquired an inner discipline from their exposure to both physical and mental order. This is the core of Dr. Montessori’s philosophy. Patterns of concentration and thoroughness, established in early childhood produce a confident, competent learner in later years. Montessori education teaches children to observe, to think, to judge. It introduces children to the joy of learning at an early age and provides a framework in which intellectual and social discipline go hand-in-hand.

To my sweet, wonderful son on your 5th Birthday.

You are so very special to us and loved in every way!

God gave me a precious gift
the day he gave me you.
You've brought such love and joy into
my life and lots of laughter too.
The years have passed so quickly
for it seems like yesterday,
your tiny body was cuddling mine,
and in my arms you lay.
We may not always get along

and at times we disagree,
but always know how loved you are
you mean the world to me.
As we celebrate this special day,

We wish the best for you,
may your life be filled with happiness
and your hopes and dreams come true.
You may be growing up
but forever you will be,
my sweet thoughtful little boy
that God gave to me.

We love you very much, Little-Man!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy