The Big 5

It is Grant's 5th Birthday today!!!

It has taken me 5 days to complete this post. Seriously, every single night, I have sat here at my computer... typing, then erasing, typing, then erasing. The fact is.... I don't know exactly how to put what's on my mind... I don't exactly know what to say about Grant. As I write this, he is sitting on the couch next to me. He keeps asking, "why are you looking at me so much?" As if looking at him more will help.

I had to add this baby picture of him. I think I've mentioned it before, but he was truly the happiest baby I've ever met. He was such a joy. And I can't believe he's 5 now...

Look at him now....

Grant is a mystery to me. He's not your average child.... he's my little outlier. Maybe that's why I love him so dang much. I adore every bit and piece of him. From his sweet, adoring, cuddly side.... to his manic, tantrum, out-of-control side. Yes, every part!

Some, Every day I complain about not being able to get away from him... literally.... He sleeps in my room (yes, we have tried EVERYTHING), and from the moment he wakes up, he is by my side. If I go upstairs, he follows me, downstairs, follows me. If I go outside for a split-second, he MUST follow me. He flips out when I have a conversation with someone for too long. Then, at night, he refuses to go to bed (yes, again, we have tried EVERYTHING) until 10-11pm. Really... it's obnoxious. He is literally by my side for 24 hours of the day. I can't help but complain sometimes. But in reality....it's not that bad. I know when he gets older I will miss my constant companion. My witty, funny, companion.

The middle-child myth certainly does not apply to Grant. He gets 90% of our attention. He is the main topic of most all Shawn and my conversations. Mainly because he has us stumped. We just don't know what to do about this guy! I'm not kidding. I love jigsaw puzzles, but Heavenly Father sent us the hardest one I've ever had. I'm not meaning to be critical of Grant. It's just a fact. And I think it may be a positive trait...... in the long run. He is unique. Can you think of a single celebrity, artist, musician, performer, inventor, or author who isn't/wasn't unique? I'd like to talk with some of their mothers.....

Grant has is own way of doing things. He's not interested in fitting in with the crowd. As a matter of fact, he doesn't even like the crowd. He won't talk to you unless he wants to. Really. People can look in him the eye, and kindly talk to him or ask him a question, and he will just stare back. But when he does decide to talk, he's got some great things to say. He's extremely intelligent, and witty. He doesn't have many friends, and that doesn't bother him. His best friend is Jefferson, and that seems to be enough.

The fact is, I cannot imagine life without him. If I tried hard enough, and did imagine life without him, it would be EXTREMELY DULL.   

To celebrate his 5th year, I made lists of 5 things about this little guy (as if this blog post wasn't long enough).....

5 things Grant can't live without:

   1. Red meat, bacon, bell peppers, water chestnuts, pineapples, cereal, and toast.

   2. Where's Waldo

   3. Daily baths

   4. Computer games

   5. "Scripture Scouts"

5 things Grant just can't stand:

   1. vegetables... any vegetable, in any form (with the exception of the bell pepper mentioned above)

   2. getting dressed in the morning
   3. going to church, or preschool... we battle 4 days out of the week
   4. coats!
   5. I couldn't think of a 5th thing... so I asked Grant himself. He says, "I don't like houses that only have baby toys."

5 things Grant says DAILY:

   1. That's not fair!

   2. I'm not tired!

   3. When is Bubba going to be home?

   4. How many years 'til I get to make my own choices?
   5. Why do I have to go to bed and you get to stay up?

5 of the usual Grant habits:

   1. Refusing to go to bed EVERY night, until sometimes 11pm.... every single night of his life, I tell ya!

   2. He won't go to the bathroom unless someone is standing on the other side of the door

   3. Only sitting in his self-designated chair at the dinner table. If anyone else EVER sits there, at ANY time in the day, he flips out!

   4. He eats a bowl of pineapples in bed every night

   5. colors, colors, colors, and then wants to color again

5 of Grant's favorite characters:

   1. Lightning McQueen

   2. All Richard Scarry books characters

   3. Winnie the Pooh

   4. Robin Hood

   5. Luke Skywalker

5 things you may not know about Grant:

   1. He knows EVERY song lyric to the Broadway musical, Wicked

   2. He loves board games and puzzles. His favorite game is Stratego.... and he's pretty darn good

   3. He's obsessed with the book series "The Magic Tree House". Shawn reads them every night. They're on book #24

   4. He's learning how to read, knows addition and subtraction, and thinks it's fun to count to 100

   5. He would rather play inside by himself than outside with friends

On his birthday he:

had cereal for breakfast

colored

went to the doctor, got 4 shots

got a scoop of chocolate at Baskin-n-Robbins

ate pigs-in-a-blanket for lunch

played baseball with dad

rode his bike

watched Star Wars Episode 3

played playmobils

went to swim lessons

and had his birthday dinner, which he requested: Spaghetti, cauliflower, french bread, and juice

I'd say that was a pretty eventful birthday day.

So, to the boy I adore with all my heart....

Happy 5th, Grantman!