Happy 75-month birthday, Joshua Douglas Good!

On Tuesday, December 18, Joshua turned 75 months old. He had a somewhat typical day - he starts out by playing when he gets up. Eventually I remind him to get dressed in the outfit I put on his dresser the night before (which often he helps me pick out). Then I insist he gets on socks and shoes and brush his teeth before watching any more Youtube clips (trying to get better at his games) or doing anything more. He usually isn't too hard to get going in the morning (unlike Caleb Luke who has no desire to get out of his PJs!) and he comes downstairs for breakfast when he's ready. I usually offer the kids toast, cereal or something out of the freezer like french toast sticks or waffles or pancakes (unless I have tons of time and a burning desire to make something hot, which happens on rare occasion). They don't always choose the same thing each morning. Joshua eats breakfast with his brothers, typically, and sometimes I join them and other times I take the opportunity while they are sitting quietly to empty and reload the dishwasher and start the laundry.

When our clock turns 8:45 (we're a couple minutes fast), the boys put on their coats and he grabs his backpack that we've loaded the day before with his yellow folder and homework and we walk together to kindergarten. We pass the same man at the corner every morning who is there to help direct traffic, and he always says good morning to us. We typically see our neighbors as we go, too, including Peyton (who has afternoon kindergarten) walking his older siblings and a little girl from the apartment complex down the street who literally talks to us from the moment she catches up until the time she walks into school. I walk Joshua up to the door and give him a kiss and tell him to have a good day at school.

I pick up Joshua at 11:45, holding out our number (although the teachers know us by now). He is usually one of the first ones dismissed since we walk. He tells me highlights from his day. Tuesdays are library days, and this time he got an Amelia Bedelia Christmas book. I LOVED it! We always read his library book that night, and this one started off  with Mrs. Rogers saying "Christmas is just around the corner" to which Amelia Bedelia responds "Which corner?" Joshua howled at that one! It actually cracks me up that he now understands some jokes and puns. He really is getting older!!!

Joshua will tell me also if they've had any math tests in school or which station they got to play at (if any). I also asked him which kids make poor choices in school and which make good choices to see if he knew the difference. He did.

After school, Joshua is typically ravenous so we eat lunch. He loves yogurt, butter bread, carrots & dip, cereal and noodles these days as his 'favorite' foods. His tastes change back and forth. Some days he'll readily try whatever we're eating and really like it. Other days, he has no interest in eating.

I've found that a good routine is making him finish his homework while I make lunch. While he's tired of school and just wants to play, his homework doesn't take him long at all and otherwise we tend to argue about it getting done. If he does it immediately (and again, it takes him less than five minutes to accomplish), then it's done and put away and he can have some 'relax' time. He no longer naps, typically, unless we have "big" plans that night and I need him to or if he has a cold or something where he needs the extra rest. He is great at playing quietly and finding something to do if necessary. But, these days I've used the opportunity of Ryan resting in the afternoon to have our Christmas craft time. It's worked out well.

Joshua LOVES playing with Caleb. While they can fight over toys like any brothers, the majority of the time they get along well. Big brother will ask little brother even to sit with him downstairs to play Wii; even if Caleb doesn't want to play, he'll often go and watch just to be in the same room together.

Joshua highly enjoys going to Universal, especially since many of his friends go there as well. He was disappointed this day that I went in the morning since my Bible study is on break. He asked to go again that night and typically we would, but instead we went to the library to check out some books that I had reserved. While we were there, we found two new "Froggy" books that we read together that night. He was highly amused. When we were standing in line, we also saw a dog come in that the boys said hello to and a dressed up Santa Clause. Neat-o! Shawn bought pizza for dinner, which we enjoyed as a family when we got home.

Joshua has been doing amazingly well with school. He seems to enjoy it for the most part (although he gets highly annoyed when they don't have time to play - it will be a tough year next year, I fear!). He had his math tests come home and he's gotten 100% on every one. He breezes through his homework, and I would say he's reading with relative ease now. He understands more about what's happening with the characters, too.

Most importantly, though, I see a huge growth with his understanding of the true Christmas story this season. I asked them questions about some of the different activities we've done and what they remember, asking them about different times and characters and he's able to answer them. I'm so glad! It makes my heart sing when my boys are learning about their God.

Joshua is a fantastic older brother to Ryan and Caleb and a wonderful oldest son to us. We are THANKFUL he is part of our family. Happy 75-month birthday, my love!