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Carver x 6
Today, Carver is six years old! He’s been looking forward to the celebration for several weeks now, checking the calendar daily. He requested cupcakes, which we enjoyed this morning.
He chose to go to an indoor play area full of inflatable bounce houses and slides, and such. He had gone for a party some time ago, and thoroughly enjoyed it, so the whole family went. Avey enjoyed it, but got a little bored after a while. Hakan was in his element.
Merritt started out very hesitant, and scared of the fans, not to mention the unsure footing. He seemed bothered by the other bouncers, but as soon as he saw Hakan pouncing around like a kangaroo, something clicked. He let loose and had the time of his life.
Carver had a grand time, but was saddened to find that his favorite play area was the only one not inflated that day. We figured it must be down for repairs. He chose cheeseburgers and chicken nuggets for his special dinner, so we ate out at a fast food restaurant with those things and more. Then we came home for bed.
We worried that Carver’s birthday celebration might need to be postponed earlier in the week when he complained of a sore throat. He had a bit of a fever Thursday night, and was diagnosed with strep throat on Friday morning. Luckily, he was not contagious, feeling back to himself for the fun.
Otherwise, it was a busy week of normal life, with two of our evenings filled up with music concerts at the school. Carver’s was Tuesday night and Avey’s was Wednesday. Both programs were fast and enjoyable, but took a toll on our energy.
Merritt has made noticeable progress in his verbal skills. He has clearly said “Need help!” more than once this week, and “I don’t want it.” or, alternatively, “I want it.” It’s been so good to see him finally working on words, and still frustrating that he won’t even try some. He won’t dare try to say Carver’s or Hakan’s name, but loves to say everyone else’s. He won’t say his own name, either. They will be sure to follow, though.
Carver has really impressed us recently with his reading skills. He seems to have reached a milestone in confidence now, because he’s really trying, and seems to believe that he can do it. He read a whole book to Hakan just a few days ago, and hardly needed any help!
I’m in spring break this week, which is fortunate because it’s also the week I go to my yearly conference for my specialization, so it won’t affect my course schedule. It’s sad, however, because my break is two weeks earlier than the kids’ break. I’m going to spend my time getting some work done, and I’ll give Kira a day off to do whatever she’d like, and then we are going to drive to Indiana to do some looking at places to move this summer. We are toying with the idea of moving there while I keep my same job, just for the cost of living difference.
That’s about it from our end! We’ll have more to report next week!