This is my annual lengthy post about my kids at each age. Be warned.
Briggs is officially five years old. He weighs 39 lbs (37th percentile) and is 43" tall (52nd percentile). Briggs is outgrowing some of his 4T clothes and is now wearing some of his 5T clothes. He wears size 10 shoes. Briggs sleeps about 11-12 hours each night, going to bed around 8:00 and waking up between 7:00 and 8:00. He goes to pre-school 3 afternoons each week in Ms. Stork's class, goes to library story hour, and enjoys Wednesday evening Kids Connection at church and Sunday School and Children's Church on Sundays. He played soccer in the fall.
Likes: Briggs loves all things vehicles. His favorite toys are generally vehicle toys: his trains and train table, his cars and diggers, his Big Wheel and his bike. He loves to build with blocks and magna tiles, but is often building bridges, tunnels, and buildings for his vehicles. In the bathtub, he loves to play with his boats. He LOVES books, but always looks for vehicle books at the library. He also has a great sense of humor and always enjoys and understands clever or funny children's books as well. Briggs now enjoys a variety of movies and TV shows, but Thomas the Train movies, Cars, Planes, and Blaze and the Monster Machines are all favorites. He also enjoys Paw Patrol and Puppy Dog Pals. Briggs enjoys drawing, although his specialty is drawing trains. He also loves doing puzzles (and is very good at them). Listening to books on tape is another favorite activity. Briggs rarely plays in the playroom without turning on his favorite audio series, "The Pond."
Playing with his cars is a favorite activity.
Briggs is a very easy-going boy. He always likes playing at home, but also enjoys a good outing. He is very easy to take to the grocery store, Target, or running errands. He's always game for a trip to the library, the park, the zoo, or a museum. Wildlife Prairie Park is a favorite because they have a train you can ride. He has also recently discovered the Caterpillar Museum and has enjoyed that as well. Briggs has lots of friends that he enjoys spending time with. Dava is the friend he talks about the most, but he also plays really nicely with Grace (our neighbor) when I watch her on Monday mornings. He runs around with a group of little boys after church on Sundays with Quinn being his most talked about church friend. His sisters remains his favorite friends and playmates.
Briggs and Dava sharing his umbrella on a rainy day
Briggs and Grace helping in the kitchen
Briggs just loves his sisters!!
Briggs is a pretty good eater. He eats fruits and veggies and breads really well with some resistance to a few of the main dishes I make. Favorite foods include sloppy joes, meatballs, pancakes, grilled cheese, chicken nuggets, Grammie carrots (cooked carrots with butter and brown sugar), and sweets. He's pretty easy going about what he wears, but prefers athletic pants and fleece pajamas.
Briggs loves his fleece pajamas all year long.
Dislikes: Briggs is a creature of habit, so he does not like when things do not go according to his routine, like forgetting to turn on his fan before bed. He is not always patient when asking for something or wanting to tell me something or waiting for me to do something with him while I am busy. Briggs remains sensitive to certain things and does not like storms, "scary/intense" parts of movies, or going upstairs by himself (when no one else is up there.) He also does not like when Adelie doesn't blow her nose in a timely manner. He has improved in many areas since last summer, so I'm not sure how bothered he will be this summer about beach umbrellas and fireworks, but those would both fall under the "dislike" category upon our last known interactions with them. Briggs also does not like "itchy" sweaters and he insists on wearing the hood if he is wearing a hooded shirt.
He prefers his comfy pants and sweatshirts.
Skills: Briggs is a pretty coordinated little guy. He runs fast. He rides his Big Wheel, scooter, and bike (with training wheels) really well. He does pretty well catching and throwing larger balls and stuffed animals. Briggs is very good at puzzles, completing 100 piece puzzles by himself and 200 piece puzzles with a little help. He can color in the lines, draws with most of his objects recognizable, and can write his name legibly (with his g's and s occasionally backwards). Briggs is pretty independent. He can get himself dressed (including buttons and zippers), pick out his outfits (although still thinks that pants and shirts of the exact same color is a great matching outfit), take himself to bathroom, wash himself up in the shower, and brush his own teeth. (I know I should help him more with that than I do. #3rd kid.)
Briggs with his favorite (205 piece) puzzle.
Briggs loves to be a helper. He enjoys helping make things in the kitchen. He is good about cleaning up, clearing his plate, putting dirty clothes in the hamper, putting things in the recycling, and doing his jobs (taking off his bed sheets, putting on his pillowcase, and cleaning the sides of the tub) every Sunday. He's always happy to help out with yard work or projects that Zach is doing. Briggs is a bright little guy. He now knows all his upper case letters, about 2/3 of his lower case letters, his numbers 1-10 (with difficulty knowing the difference between 6 and 9), and can count to 100 (with some help knowing the tens place after 30). Briggs knows all of his colors and shapes. He knows his letter sounds and is beginning to sound out some simple words.
Briggs helping Daddy fix the refrigerator.
Working in the yard
Briggs is a very sweet boy. He is generally kind and thoughtful. He loves to snuggle and gives sincere compliments. Briggs is a thinker, talks through things he's trying to figure out, and has a very good memory. He is also very observant. He still demonstrates tantrums, fits, and a quick temper when things aren't going his way, but he is also quick to apologize for his outbursts with sincere regret. Briggs does really well patiently waiting and entertaining himself while we are running errands or while he accompanies me to an appointment. Briggs is a good friend. He is great at sharing, will often play what others want to play, and compromises well. He also entertains himself and can play well on his own. He is developing an understanding of God and his power and is sincere in his beliefs. I love Briggs's sweet, gentle, loving self.
I sure do love my 5 year old!!
