Look Who Is 6!

Happy Birthday Jeffrey!  

Jeffrey showing off the helicopter he constructed from K'Nex.

My little boy is growing up!  Today he turns 6--a whole hand AND an additional finger.  Time certainly flies. It seems like only yesterday Bryan and I were thinking he was going to be born in the car on the way to the hospital, and now he's gone and grown into a young lad.  And a nice one at that.   
Many years ago, I read in a book somewhere that the goal of the Amish is to have their children self-sufficient (for the most part) by 7.  Bryan and I have kept this in mind as we train our children, and we're pleased to report that Jeffrey is definitely on track!  It amazes me how many parents have little or no expectations for their children.  Kids definitely rise or fall to meet parental expectations.

Anyways, back to Jeffrey...

He's a huge help around the house, and can tackle many chores by himself.  He loves giving me a hand, and often takes heavy loads from his sisters or myself.  This year--he asked if he could learn to clean the toilet for his daily bathroom chore.  Um...yes!  What five year old boy asks to clean the toilet?  He's definitely special!

In addition to being a great helper, Jeffrey is learning his way around the kitchen.  (We want to be sure both our boys and our girls can cook!) He makes peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the family on his day for lunch.  He cooks pancakes and makes cookies.

One of my favorite character traits about Jeffrey is that when it's time to work, he works hard, but he also plays hard. When he puts his mind to something, he gets it done.

He adores construction toys and builds with Legos, K'Nex or Lincoln Logs almost every day during our two hour quiet time.  He has a mathematical brain that I don't quite understand--spatial sense is definitely one of his strong areas!

I look forward to seeing him continue to learn, grow and change in the next year.  Learning to read independently is a major goal we have set.  Whatever happens in the coming year, I am thankful for this little boy the Lord gave us!