Just Let It Ride: Ryder turns 6!

I know I sound like a broken record, but how is it possible that my babies are growing up so quickly?! Andrew and I feel like Ryder has grown by leaps and bounds just since the summer. Overall, life as a 5 year old was smooth-sailing for our little man. Ryder has always been pretty even-tempered, but this past year he has seemed to emotionally mature so much! The only time he cries is when he is overtired, has too much sugar, or watches a sad movie (more on that in a minute!)

Ryder is having a wonderful year in kindergarten and has amazed me at how much he has learned over the past few months. He knows approximately 70 sight words and sounds out EVERY word he sees! I enjoy the mornings when he reads a book to Harper and me on our way to drop him off at school. :) We were in the car one day and he randomly started chuckling. I asked him what he was laughing about, and he said, "Big Jim!" I was totally confused and asked who in the world big Jim was. He said, "I don't know, but that's what the sign said on that building!" Sure enough, we had just passed a Big Jim storage facility--ha!

He also loves math and is interested in things with numbers: calculators, watches, clocks, tape measures, etc. He's doing some basic addition and subtraction, and he likes to roll dice and add up the numbers for fun!

In addition to the academics, we are so proud of how kind and well-behaved Ryder is in school. He has come home with three different "student of the month" certificates for being a good example of certain character traits: responsibility, respect, and empathy. He is such a sweet, sensitive boy. The four of us sat down as a family one night to watch Home Alone because Andrew and I thought the kids would get a kick out of the pranks Kevin plays on the dumb criminals in the movie. (They loved the last half hour or so!) When we got to the part at the beginning where Kevin wakes up to an empty house, Ryder got teary-eyed. I asked him why he was sad, and he started crying as he said, "I just want him to be with his family again!" At the end of the movie when Kevin's mom came back home, Ryder wiped his eyes and said,"Do you have happy tears, Mom? Because I do!" His tender heart and sense of humor make him so much fun to be around!

We love you, Ryder Scott! 💖

yet another Lego set for the birthday boy

Like Harper, Ryder also requested the Japanese steakhouse for his birthday dinner, and this time the owner was there. We had heard he makes animals out of carrots--"carrotgami" instead of origami--but we had never seen him in action. He was AMAZING! He made a butterfly for Harper, an eagle for Ryder, and a fish for Maisie, all with moving parts! What a treat for the birthday celebration!

making his eagle soar

On New Year's Day, we went camping again as our last hurrah for winter break. :) Steve, Ali, and Maisie came too and stayed at the campsite right next to us. Pops and Grann joined us for dinner and birthday cake for Ryder, and Ryder loved that he got two birthday celebrations!

a new Tampa Bay Buccaneers jersey

Maisie was testing her flashlight before dark. ;)

Between Christmas and New Year's Day, we enjoyed the perfect combination of being lazy and getting out of the house to feel semi-productive. :) Alison and I took the kids to the beach one day and had a great time! The kids entertained each other and had fun splashing in the cool water and digging tunnels in the sand.

snack break!

On the 29th, Steve, Alison, Andrew and I enjoyed our 2nd annual sunset dinner cruise. The three kids had a sleepover at Pops and Grann's house, so Andrew, Garcia, and I stayed at Steve and Alison's house--it was like going to a bed and breakfast for the night, complete with blueberry pancakes and eggs in the morning (thanks, Steve!)