Jude--5 1/2 years old

In January, right at 5 years old:

Height: 43 7/8 inches
Weight: 50 lbs

Oh Jude. When I think of Jude, I think of a storm that ebbs and flows, leaving destruction but also rainbows in its wake. He is a whirlwind of loud voices, crazy antics, hugs and kisses, smiles and laughs, messes, and love. He reminds me of the song in “The Sound of Music” where the nuns are trying to find the right words to describe Maria. If you replace "Maria" with "Jude" and "she" with "he", this song is so, so Jude:

How do you solve a problem like Maria?
How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?
How do you find the word that means Maria?
A flibbertijibbet! A will-o'-the wisp! A clown!

Many a thing you know you'd like to tell her
Many a thing she ought to understand
But how do you make her stay and listen to all you say
How do you keep a wave upon the sand?

Oh, how do you solve a problem like Maria?
How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?

When I'm with her I'm confused, out of focus and bemused
And I never know exactly where I am
Unpredictable as weather, she's as flighty as a feather

She's a darling! She's a demon! She's a lamb!

She'd out pester any pest, drive a hornet from its nest

She could throw a whirling dervish out of whirl
She is gentle! She is wild! She's a riddle! She's a child!
She's a headache! She's an angel! She's a girl!

How do you solve a problem like Maria?
How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?
How do you find the word that means Maria?
A flibbertijibbet! A will-o'-the wisp! A clown!

Many a thing you know you'd like to tell her
Many a thing she ought to understand
But how do you make her stay and listen to all you say
How do you keep a wave upon the sand?

Jude has no interest in reading, writing, coloring, or any other part of the written language. He’d much rather run, jump, play games, watch movies, or play outside. I guess there must be something to the boy/girl stereotypes because Jude fits in the “boy” category perfectly. We are slowly learning the alphabet and it’s my hope he’ll have it down along with the sounds each letter makes when he starts kindergarten this fall. He's almost there!

Jude has been taking picky lessons from Lance and is now almost as opinionated when it comes to food. We used to be able to convince him to eat just about anything, but that ship has sailed and most dinners are a bit of an arm-wrestle trying to get Jude to eat enough bites of “good things” before filling up on his favorites.

He is a carb lover. Any kind of bread, toast, noodle, rice, cereal or cracker he will devour and come back for seconds. Vegetables and fruit are another story. He will eat cauliflower and corn and will eat grapes or an apple, but only if I peel off all the skin and leave it a whole apple. None of this slicing for him.

George recently asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. Jude’s response: a daddy. It makes sense because he and George share a special bond.

Jude continues to be one of the friendliest kids I’ve ever met. He’s always telling me how he has hundreds of friends and no matter where he goes, he will find someone to play with, doesn’t matter if they’ve known each other a year or just 2 minutes.

His latest obsession is YouTube. This kid would watch YouTube all day if I let him. His favorite channels are Skylander Boy and Girl, EvantubeHD and DiamondMinecart. My favorite ones he watches are the Skylander Boy and Girl videos. They are a cute family that review games Jude enjoys like Skylanders (obviously), but also Minecraft, Pixelgun and other games for the tablet. They are funny and promote good family relationship and values. 

Jude now wants a snake. He's convinced that since Lance loves his snake Molty so much, obviously a snake makes the perfect pet and he needs one. I have my doubts, but there may be a snake in the future for Jude. 

Jude also started piano lessons this past year and has done very well! He has a good ear for music and seems to pick it up easily. Practicing is his downfall--not because he hates it, but because he has a hard time sitting on the bench long enough to play through one song, let alone several. I find myself constantly redirecting and by the time our 15 minutes of practice are over, I feel like I've run a marathon.

He just learned how to swim! We've been working on it all summer and just this past week while we were in California it seemed to click and he was swimming all over by himself. He still has trouble taking breathes while he swimming, but he's already quite the fish!

Jude brings such a fun spirit to our home. He's ecstatically happy 90 percent of the time and his enthusiasm is contagious. He LOVES people and has no qualms being immediate friends with random people he meets at the store, on the street, at the gym or the pool. The concept of personal space continues to allude Jude--he invites himself right into everyone's, totally unaware that being two inches from someone's face might be a bit uncomfortable. I can't get enough of my wiggly, snuggly, crazy boy. I am constantly amazed by his energy and ability to love everyone. I am excited for him to start Kindergarten--to be surrounded by kids his own age playing games, reading stories, playing on playgrounds and learning will be a dream come true for him. 

We sure love you, Jude! Thanks for being ours!