It's hard to believe that our kiddo is 5 years old! It was a fun birthday season, including a birthday party at Sylvan's favorite waterfront park (where they got to launch boats (sticks) into the river and poke around in the mud), and a special birthday dinner with Nana and our neighbor Ms. Mae. We've also had lots of family time this fall, with visits from GMer (Jim's mom) and Nana (Courtney's mom) and trips to Texas for a Cook family wedding and Charlotte for Thanksgiving. Sylvan LOVES spending time with his cousins, so his cup is full. Looking back on the past five years, it's fun to think about how Sylvan has grown and changed and what has stayed with him. He's still an imp and a ham, so it's almost impossible to get a good family picture (see Spearman family pic here for a case in point...). He is constantly making up jokes which aren't quite jokes yet. Though he isn't reading yet he's very interested in how to spell things and thinking about words that rhyme. He asks lots of questions, and his imagination is immense! He is constantly thinking of new Lego creations and there's not a scrap of paper or piece of string that doesn't have a new and unexplored future use. He is strong willed and stubborn, which we hope will translate to being principled and forthright as he matures. He's a cuddle bug and gives great hugs, and still prefers to sleep in our room rather than on his own. We are secretly grateful that he still wants us nearby. What a blessing Sylvan is in our lives!