You are ALL soccer right now, Daddy is coaching your team for the second time this school year and your soccer friends have become some of your best buddies. It's a great group of boys and we have been enjoying hanging out with all of the parents. It is already so fun watching you guys progress, I can't imagine what it will be like the next two years as you all get older and more skilled.
Daddy and I love how you are willing to try many different sports and your great coordination and fast speed means you are good at many of them. When we were in Colorado for spring break you upped your skiing big time after you had ski school for a day. You really improved technically and your turns are looking awesome- you were 5 years old and taking on west coast blue squares like a boss. It was so cool to watch! Currently, you are taking a break from Tae-Kwon-Do since it is soccer season and you also were doing before and after school sports programs- Hip Hop and Sports All Stars. You'll be doing mini-stars swimming again this summer to keep your stamina up in the pool. Your coordination is great for freestyle and backstroke but you are just working on the stamina. This past weekend you joined Auden for his last track meet since it was "family fun" day and you loved it so I think we might have added another sport to your future repertoire, haha. I'm looking forward to you trying lacrosse too since it was my personal favorite. Now is the time to try all these different things and figure out what you like best before the craziness of travel teams starts up in 2 years.
My how this year has flown by! You have absolutely rocked Kindergarten. Your report cards are outstanding, you are quick to learn anything new and always ask for challenging work. In fact, you were selected to receive advanced academic services next year to ensure your 1st grade teacher gives you differentiated work in language arts and math to keep you challenged. We were pleasantly surprised by this news and happy the teachers recognize what we do at home. It is hard to believe you only heard English for the first time when you were 26 months old and now you qualify for advanced language arts. We knew how bright you were from the first weeks we met you but what we are most proud of is how hard you try at school and give your best effort. That's all we can ask for, well....and wish you practiced reading more:)
Socially, kindergarten has been interesting as it has brought new types of challenges we have not had to parent yet just because Auden hasn't taken us down this road before. You are a natural leader in your own right among certain types of personalities, however, you still seem to be drawn to certain kids, or this year- one boy in particular who you seem to follow. We've had to have several discussions about being your own person and not making poor decisions just because friends are, since in your heart you know what is right and wrong. We knew peer pressure is always an issue growing up but we didn't think we would have to deal with it in Kindergarten honestly. But there have been a few instances this year that were good "teachable moments" and we are trying our best on parenting techniques to help you navigate having fun with your friends, being inclusive of everyone and not letting others influence you to make bad decisions. You are a social butterfly and well liked by many Grant, we want you to use these powers for good and follow your kind heart!
At your 6 yr old check up with the doctor, we did some blood tests because you had another little drop in percentiles for weight and height. You are a great eater so we just wanted to check and see if there was anything going on since you are at the very low end of the growth charts now. Surprisingly, the one thing that came back is that you had an elevated level for Celiac (which could affect growth). After some discussion, we were urged to do a biopsy by the GI specialist as it is the "gold standard" in diagnosing Celiac. It was a relatively easy procedure and you were such a trooper! These things are much harder on Mommy to see you in a hospital bed coming out of anesthesia. Unfortunately we did not get a conclusive answer from the biopsy (1 out of 3 criteria met) and your genetic testing for Celiac came back negative which I assumed because it is rare for Koreans to have Celiac. So at this time it looks like you have a gluten sensitivity but nothing that should be affecting your growth. Right now we are on week 3 of a gluten free diet at the recommendation of the specialist to completely rule out Celiac and see how your body does off of gluten. We will probably try it for 3-6 months then gradually re-introduce it and see how your body does. If nothing changes we will go back to a regular diet. It's definitely not easy but in today's world it is not a major inconvenience to be gluten free since so many people are on GF diets. You are being a trooper and trying lots of new types of food and the rest of the family is too:)
We've already had awesome trips to the NC beach and the lake this summer. Next up, in one week you and Auden will be going to "Nana and Pappy Camp" for 5 days without us. You are a little apprehensive but you definitely want to go, so hopefully it works out well!
This past week your appearance has changed a lot as you wanted Daddy to give you a proper mohawk and you "lost" your first tooth! I say "lost" because it was actually (unfortunately) an extraction of your front baby tooth because an x-ray showed an infection in the root. It was a bit painful but I'm not sure you minded too much because you were just so excited to lose your first tooth and have the tooth fairy come! You look adorable and like a big boy at the same time.
You are growing up right before our eyes. You are always anxious to learn things from the big boys in our neighborhood or at camp and sometimes this is for better or worse. We don't want you growing up any faster than you already are! Auden's friends think you are the coolest little brother. You are inquisitive, hilarious, sassy and a great helper around the house. It's easy to tell when you have a lot on your mind and sometimes some extra snuggles are in order. You and Auden continue to have a special bond which warms my heart. We think you make him more social while his love of science and learning rubs off on you. You and Leena have a very typical sibling relationship, one that I remember quite well with my older brother growing up. You both know how to push each other's buttons and it's common to hear the phrase from Mom/Dad, "please get away from each other if you can't get along." You have your sweet play moments but there are sharing problems and tattling between you two as well. But at the end of the day, we know you adore her and you are very glad to have her in the family, so that is the most important.
This year was a BIG year for you! You faced lots of changes and firsts- like gaining a sister, starting elementary school, going to summer camp, starting a gluten free diet and most recently losing your first tooth! It wasn't without a few bumps but you are an amazingly brave kid that we have no doubt can tackle anything that comes your way. Grant, you are SO special and SO loved!
6TH BIRTHDAY INTERVIEW
- What is your favorite toy? Legos
- What is your favorite food? Noodles- red sauce (like Spaghetti) or brown sauce (like Ramen)
- What is your favorite thing to do/play outside? Playing tag in cul-de-sac
- What is your favorite show? Captain Underpants show
- What is your favorite color? Red and blue
- Who is your best friend? Sawyer, John
- What do you want to be when you grow up? Math teacher (like 6th grade)
- What is your favorite sport? Soccer
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