Grayson is 5

How can you not love this kid?  
I really haven't met anyone who doesn't just LOVE him....and I mean LOOOOOVE him.  


He has more personality than can be contained in his little five year old body.  I often wonder how I get to have a kid as delightful and endearing as Gray. 


Everything he does is funny.  In the picture above, he found the snorkel mask in our garage as we were about to ride bikes around the neighborhood.  "Dad!"  "Why haven't you taken us snorkeling?!"  With all the excitement and wonder of discovering the coolest treasure, he proceeded to wear the mask non-stop for a couple of days.  


One of my biggest failures as a mom is not writing down all the things he's said and the stories of his antics.  There are so many.  I want to always remember how much he loves to dress-up.  There probably wasn't a day for two years he wasn't donning a superhero costume, cape or even bike helmet (when not biking).  He went through a long phase where he wore one glove 90% of the day.  


He kind-of causes a scene wherever he goes.  A little reminiscent of the Charlie Brown character, "Pig-pen," he is often messy, disheveled, and knocking things down along his way.  He has no volume control and speaks only at an 11.  This is especially fun when he announces things about his body.  

There is the infamous story of him pulling out his penis in the small grocery store while announcing, "MOM, a penis is...a penis is...MOM...a penis is...THIS."  The latest announcement was the other day when leaving the neighborhood pizza place.  "Mom!  I have to go poo-poo"  "can it wait till we get home"  "NO! Its coming out of my bottom right now"  :-)  There wasn't a family in the restaurant that didn't hear him!  

This is the restaurant where he is known by name by most of the employees (pretty sure they don't know our names).  The cook the other day said to our favorite waitress, "Man, I want to be just like that kid.  Grayson is awesome!"  

He is a great kid to have when you move to a new place.  Almost everyone we've met here was first approached by a confident, talkative little boy.  Our neighbor, Joan, was out jogging one day and he started running up next to her and asked if he could chase her.  We're friends now.  

 I am so grateful for my Gray-Gray.  He came into the world screaming and he screamed for four months straight.  Ohh, that was rough.




He has more than made up for it.

It is the most incredible honor to be his mom.  Even when he's having a rough day, he makes us laugh.  Every day he spontaneously tells me he loves me.  He fills my hug quota and then some.  He is incredibly fun to tickle.

He loves music and loves to sing. He has the best imagination.  He is happy to play by himself and can be heard making all kinds of sound effects. 

From the time he could walk, he started getting into things.  I kept a running picture log of all the mess he made and got into.  This is a picture of him after he found the container of cocoa.  Notice all of it in his nose?   

 
He LOVES food and will eat anything you give him...usually with an announcement that its the best dinner/snack/lunch ever. 
  
 

I believe a life of optimism is in store for him...and therefore, also for the rest of us.  


Thank you Grayson.  You have made my life so much brighter.  


You are MY JOY!