and more sawyer

It's been a long, long while since I've done any recording, recapping, updating, etc. specifically on the kids. On who they are really right now.
Things they're saying, loving, doing.
It's high time I take some time for that.

I'll start with the little one.
Who's not so little anymore.
Having just had another birthday doesn't help that fact.






(his requested Jello cake on the special occasion)








You guys. He just turned SIX. HOW did that happen?





















Six years already with this kid. It doesn't seem possible...

















Sawyer loves school. I wondered how this whole Starting (full day) Kindergarten would go because he is SO not the "academic" type. He's about as far on the other side of the spectrum as he can get from where his older sister was at this age when it comes to an interest in reading/writing/all things schoolwork and learning related. He doesn't even like coloring or painting.
But he loves school. He loves his kindergarten teacher, he loves all of his "specials" classes (p.e., music, art, spanish, and technology each week), he loves the rules and routines of the school day and he actually loves learning all the stuff he's learning. He's writing and drawing so! much! more! -and on his own time!- and is actually excited about reading now. This is sooo nice, because at home? He's spent the last couple of years fighting me tooth and nail when it came to anything in the "school" realm at all. I don't know if it's maturity, if it's cuz 'all the other kids are doing it' or maybe it's just good for him that he's accountable to and learning from another adult besides his mom all day, but I love that he's loving it now.
He just turned in a giant feather they are donning a school hallway turkey with; it was a homework project and they were supposed to decorate each of their feathers with what they were most thankful for. He was set on making his all about being thankful for his teachers and their "great school". :)




















Sawyer is still all about sports though. His biggest love is baseball (oddly, since that's the sport the rest of us in the house care about the least). Ever since he played baseball last spring (and I guess realized he was so good at it as well) he can't get enough. He's constantly asking someone to go out and pitch to him in the backyard and upon returning inside always recounts for me how he "smoked it" over the fence or "smashed it' or whatever his latest terminology is. We didn't have him play Fall Baseball however, as he's still interested in soccer so he just finished up his soccer season with an Upward team again. And he has said he definitely also wants to play basketball, which he's never "officially" tried before, so he'll do that this winter. And then we'll be back to spring baseball, I'm sure. I'm guessing Sawyer'll be one of those kids who plays a different sport each season... not sure if he'll ever narrow it down to just one he loves. We may have friends handing us down a set of Sawyer-sized golf clubs too (left-handed, which has been hard to come by!) so he's super excited about that. You name it, he'll play it. And well, I might add. ;)














He's a player when it comes to games in general as well. Pool (beware the pint-sized pool shark when you come to our house), card games, dice, board games, it doesn't matter, he's more than up for it. I scored a bunch of classic games at a thrift store awhile back and it renewed his habit... we've been playing Battleship, Pictionary, Rack-O, Triominos, and Life like crazy. Oh and Fargo/Farkle/Ziltch/Whatever you call that dice game in your neck of the woods. Loves that one. He got the game Mousetrap for his birthday and I think we've played it every single day since.














And yes, video games. Of course. They're restricted to weekends only now, and only about an hour then, but he takes full advantage. MarioKart on the Wii is his favorite (or maybe now the new Mario SuperSluggers he just got for his birthday), but he honestly can't get enough of the classics... he and Savannah spend most of their time lately playing old school (we're talking original Nintendo) SuperMarioBrothers, Ms. PacMan, Donkey Kong and Chip 'n Dale's Rescue Rangers. :)




















Maybe Sawyer's just an old soul.
He's still drawn to older kids and things that typically seem older than he should be. In our church small group there are a handful of kids that are kindergarten to third grade aged -including Savannah- who color and play games (tag, hide&seek) inside and out while us grown ups hang out. And on the flipside, there are two handfuls of kids (all boys) that are sixth-ish grade and up... they spend their time during small group zooming around on Ripstiks and playing dodgeball and basketball. Guess which group you'll find Sawyer in? And the crazy thing is, he fits in. They actually play with him, include him and lookout for him and he pretty much holds his own with them. He is thisclose to having the Ripstik conquered.
I swear, someone needs to tell Sawyer he's only half the age he thinks he is.















Let's see... what else about Sawyer lately?
Oh, he's big on his faux-hawk these days.




















I personally hope it's a short lived phase (although it's already lasted throughout most of the summer and fall) because I love his simple "mussed" up quick, usual hair do, but he's all about the faux-hawk for now. He won't let me or Ryan touch his hair, and while he doesn't usually do this for school (he's still half asleep by the time our early bus comes this year), anytime he does actually "do" his hair, for church or other outings, a faux-hawk it is.





































He's definitely a one of a kind kid. So stereotypical boy in all he does and yet so specifically Sawyer...
At his six-year-old check up he was 46.5 inches tall and weighed 46.5 pounds. A perfectly well-rounded kid. ;)
He loves to laugh and is all about getting you to crack up as well.
He's still a snuggler and his affections often bubble over into random hugs at any time.
He signs I love you to me from across the room when I'm helping out in his classroom.
The first thing out of his mouth, same every day, when his dad gets home from work is a big cheery "Hi Dad! Welcome home!"
He loves to bug his sister but she's his best friend.
I think the majority of his elementary school already knows who he is just because he's about the friendliest kid around. I hear a big chorus of 'Bye Sawyer's through the open bus windows when he gets off in the afternoon.
He's not a big complainer and is still one of the most laid back kids I know.














Although he's got a surprisingly strong stubborn steak. That rears it head most often it comes to meals... regularly taking an hour to take the required one bite of everything on his plate with lots of attempted (and rejected) negotiations on his part... only to finally taste whatever it is and eventually declare it just might be his new favorite food.




















He's got a one track mind... when he has something he wants to do or something that he's trying to change your mind about, he will. not. drop. it.
For instance, wanting a puppy.
For the last two years.

I just can't believe he's six already.




















I look at him these days and can scarcely see the little boy he used to be anymore... he's turned into this lean, lanky kid who is trading baseball and Pokemon cards with his friends on the bus and talking about crushing his grandpa in a game of pool and learning to play Chess and wanting to pack his own lunches.














And although I miss my baby, he's a perfect six-year-old.
Only problem is, I'm just not totally okay with that six-year-old part of it yet. :/