A Wise Boy

 The kids each have a night they are assigned to help me clean the kitchen after dinner.  Tonight Jared asked whose turn it was.  I told him I didn't have a helper tonight so I'd do it myself.  He sweetly replied that he would help me tonight.  As we did dishes together he asked me if he could get money for helping me.  Before I could respond he quickly said, "Actually, some people only care about money.  I don't want to be one of those people so I don't need any money mom."  He is a very wise, very tender-hearted five year old.

From Jared's journal entry on Sunday:  My friend's wanted to spy on their neighbors.  I wasn't sure it was ok so I told them I wouldn't.  They said I wouldn't be in the club if I didn't.  I said that was alright I just wanted to do what was right.

I am proud of Jared for his strong desire to choose the right.  I'm pretty sure his friends were not doing anything wrong, but I'm glad he had the courage to stand up to his friends anyway.

After a couple hard months, this little boy has conquered his Kindergarten fears.  He is thriving at school and now says his worst thing of the day is leaving school.  He likes to come home from school and write words and sentences for me.  His major accomplishment has been that he's let Scott drop him off at the drop-off in the morning and walk into the Kindergarten area himself.  He told me he'd do that more often, but that sometimes Dad would walk him to his classroom just for fun.  "Maybe we'll do a pattern mom.  Like, drop-off, drop-off, drop-off, Dad, drop-off, drop-off, drop-off, Dad."  I smiled at my cute little boy and all that he is learning.

Jared loves to be read to.  His attention span is amazing as he sits mesmerized listening to stories without pictures.  Recently Scott read "Where the Red Fern Grows" to the kids.  Jared loved listening about Old Dan and Little Ann.  His imagination painted a vivid picture of each scene, and he often related to us the details of how he pictured the boy and his dogs.  He also listened to "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and loved it too. 

Jared is always up for snuggles and loves...if only we could figure out how to keep him in his own bed at night!  He invariably ends up in bed with us or we find ourselves in bed with him (usually Scott takes Jared duty, since I am still up with Nathan at night) every night.  Jared told me one night after I challenged him to stay in his own bed, "I just can't help it mom.  You guys are just so snuggly and warm!"