Nine and Six

Right after the holiday season, I find myself taking inventory of the clothes and toys we no longer need and cleaning house to make way for whatever new trends capture the attention of these two energetic, curious boys. As I stood in our playroom, looking at a 2-foot-tall plastic Paw Patrol tower and thinking of all the space it would free up in our closet, I realized we’d probably seen the last of Chase, Marshall, Sky and their adventures. Now it’s all dragons, Minecraft and Jedi.

We celebrated both of their birthdays with more than 20 other children from their kindergarten and third grade classes, all armed with inflatable lightsabers running around our Regional Park. It was loud, it was chaos. It was a blast. They hardly needed our intervention, just the occasional bottle of Gatorade or slice of pizza between sprints to and from the jungle gym with their friends. Still wrapped in their imagination, but capable of articulating and elaborating their own world with one another, their ages are so fun.

We sang them into years nine and six, which I’m sure will bring unique challenges just like every other phase, but with it also comes the joy of watching them develop stronger friendships, hone their talents, and learn every day. They opened their gifts of Pokemon, Star Wars and Minecraft-themed toys. Not a member of the Paw Patrol in sight. Though the tower still sits in our playroom closet just in case the neighbor visits. We’ll free up the space eventually.

At age nine, Big B loves to cook, play with friends, ride his bike, play guitar and basketball, and read. He dislikes going to bed and turning off video games.

At age six, Little B loves desserts, playing with friends, building legos, arts and crafts, drawing, and soccer. He dislikes going to bed and homework.