Gerrit is Five!

After a crazy fourth year, it was nice to have a more laid back 5th year. We didn’t move this year! It’s also a little shocking to see your toddler really becoming a “kid.” The things Gerrit says and does… just keep reminding me that he’s growing up!

Age: 5 years old on 27 Oct 2019
Weight: 38.4 lbs
Height: 43.5 inches
Teeth: 20
Clothing Size: 4/5 and 5T
Milestones: moving from rear-facing car seat to forward facing, more skills with coloring and drawing, writes his own name

Milestones are getting tough! I feel like at this age, there aren’t as many “big” milestones. Instead, a lot of things are improving and becoming more refined. I’ve definitely noticed more maturity with 5 as well as a little more impulse control.

Instead of just improving with coloring and drawing, Gerrit has gotten quite good at them! He routinely gets special treats at school for coloring so well. He also has become very imaginative with his drawings and paintings. I’ve gotten him some drawing books, since he has seemed interested. Andrew and I really enjoy seeing what Gerrit comes up with in his artwork.

I feel like there has been more of a push this year in preschool for Gerrit to write his own name. But he can do it unprompted now! He has also shown more interest in letter sounds, and he can write the whole alphabet (capital letters).

Gerrit definitely seems to have a knack for math & science. He can easily count to 30 now, and he can get to 100 with some help. He can do simple addition and subtraction… pretty quickly! He still sometimes surprises us with simple math that he does in his head. Gerrit has been interested in science for awhile now, and we try to keep feeding that interest with kits we pick up at Hobby Lobby. He also really enjoys making goop/slime, and we do that pretty regularly.

Gerrit still loves books. We go to the library about once a week, because he just flies through the books we get. He is beginning to get into graphic novels and chapter books already. He loves fantasy type stories, but he also really likes getting nonfiction books about dinosaurs, animals, and space. I love reading with him, and I know I’m going to miss it when he starts reading on his own.

Here is Gerrit’s birthday interview:

What is your favorite color? gold
What is your favorite food? pizza
What is your favorite TV show? “Wild Kratts”
What is your favorite movie? Incredibles 2
What is your favorite thing to do? do science experiments
Where is your favorite place to go? Chili’s 
What is your favorite toy? Rescue Bots
What is your favorite book? “The Mischievians” (link here)
What is your favorite animal? cheetah
Who is your best friend? Anna (our neighbor)
What did you do on your birthday? I had a science party and an orange cake! And I went to Chili’s. 
What do you want to be when you grow up? a pilot and a rock star

Gerrit’s year from 4 to 5: 

Halloween 2018: Gerrit was Bumblebee from Transformers! This was also his first time trick-or-treating.

November

December

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

Gerrit’s birthday party this year was science themed! One of his favorite things to do is science experiments at home, so he was really excited to do some of his favorites with his friends. Andrew and I went all out with decorations this year, but we figured 5 is a big birthday!

Gerrit had so much fun at his science party! We had beautiful weather and great friends to share the afternoon with.

Gerrit, we hope you had a wonderful 5th birthday and a great year! We have so much fun watching you try and learn new things, we love your creativity and curiosity, and we are proud of the little boy you are. We love you so much!