Charlie #5

Our Baby Charlie is officially 5 and I can't even believe it. I feel like we should still be in the phase of not sleeping and him vomiting all over the place.....but (thankfully) here we are! Our Charlie has entered his last year of preschool and will start school next year. I know this year is going to fly so I hope to soak up as much of each day as possible! Overall, Charlies likes and dislikes haven't changed much. He's still a crazy little boy who loves to laugh and have fun and enjoys everything about being outside and being with his family. 

Here's a little bit about Charlie:

• Charlie has no problem "hanging" with the big kids
• He seems mentally ready for school next year and really dislikes that Mellany and Johnny get to go without him. 
• He loves to be silly and tell "jokes" and he is actually really funny. He asks all the time: "Mom, am I funny?" 
• He loves to tell all of us that he loves us and he loves to give hugs.
• Charlie is loud....when he laughs he is loud, when he cries he is loud, when he talks he is loud....you will never have a problem hearing what he has to say
• Food makes Charlie really happy. He loves McDonald's chicken nuggets and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches the most. He also enjoys a spoonful of peanut butter while I'm making sandwiches. He really is pretty consistent on what he likes to eat on a daily basis....cinnamon bread for breakfast, pb &j or chicken nuggets for lunch and then pizza for dinner 
• He loves to watch Power Rangers and PJ Masks and loves the Lego Batman movie 
• He loves tractors, trucks and any kind of construction equipment
• He loves to ride the Power Wheels John Deere Gator and tries to haul anything and everything
• Charlie is a huge helper and loves to have a "job". 
• He loves to be outside! He loves to help John with anything....driving the tractor, yard work, etc. 
• While driving, he will point out every single tractor, truck, lawn mower, semi, dump truck, excavator, etc. etc. etc. along the way
• He is wearing  5T,4/5 & 6 clothes
• He is very kind to Winston and loves to walk him on the leash
• He can ride a bike!!!
• His favorite snacks are goldfish, clif bars and peanut butter granola bars
• He really only likes to drink water and apple juice
• He can follow simple directions very well (putting clothes in the laundry basket, throwing away trash, putting away a toy)
• He started tball this past spring and gets so excited on practice and game days. It's something he truly enjoys!
• He can count to 15 and sing the ABC song. He can also identify all the colors, several shapes and a few letters
• His favorite songs are "International Harvester" and "We Ready" 
• He loves listening to music on the radio and wants to know the name of each song too.
• He's a great snuggler
• He prefers taking showers to baths
• He wants to know about everything....he is curious about life and wants to see it all
• Charlie can very clearly tell you what he wants/needs and can explain himself very well
• His pout is seriously cute (and he knows it)
• He speaks very well. He has quite the vocabulary, he can say his words clearly enough for most to understand, and speaks in complete sentences.
• He loves to pick out his own clothes and easily dresses himself
• If he isn't at church or school, you will see him wearing a hat 
• He is very kind hearted and just wants everyone to have fun.  If he gets in trouble or upsets others he starts crying and runs to his room. 
• Charlie is very outgoing around familiar people, but when in front of people he doesn't know, he is extremely shy
• He can brush his teeth by himself pretty well and has just recently started using a power toothbrush like Mellany and Johnny.
• He is starting to enjoy coloring and really loves using his sticker book
• He loves to dance! (He's got some rythm too!)
• Board games are an absolute favorite for him and he's super competitive 

5 Year Wellness Exam

Weight: 41.45 pounds

Height: 3' 8.5"

Charlie's appointment went great! He and Dr. Fahler talked about eating, personal hygiene, preschool, tball, screen time, playing outside and even sang the "chicken wing" song for him. We talked about going into Kindergarten next year and how Charlie really likes to be "the funny one". Looking at Charlie's growth charts, it is always truly amazing to see how far he has come from his infant days of not gaining weight and I'm so thankful for each and every normal appointment! 

Birthday Celebration
Charlie had two requests for his birthday celebration: pizza and arcade games! So, the kids gathered up all of John's quarters from his change box they could find and we ventured to our local Pizza King. It was such a fun, relaxing night for all of us!