I'm digging five

The boy will be five next month. The very, very end of next month. There were times during the last two years one might have wondered if he'd live to see the day. We had a glimmer of hope earlier in the year when we attended back-to-school night at the preschool. The little hand-outs they had available summarizing 3, 4 and 5 year olds promised a calming and cooperative stage at 5.

There were days I clung to that promise like a water-logged lost-soul on the open sea clings to a life raft.

Don't get me wrong, over all Logan is a great kid. Really. He's got a great wit and a deep compassion - but sometimes that gets tucked neatly behind his mother's sarcasm and his father's selective hearing. Combine that with a sister who fully embraced "terrible twos" and is shaping up to reinforce my long held belief that "three is worse than two." You can see why sometimes my sanity was in doubt.

Yet lately there's been a change in the boy. He's been calmer. He's pushed back less. He's demanded infrequently. He's begun to pitch-in without being asked or reminded. He's sudenly much more interested in being helpful and giving than he is in 'having it all my way right now.' In short, he's fulfilling that little 'developmental sheet' prophecy.

Now, let's be honest. I stopped reading after the 5 year old sheet because sometimes I like living in ignorant bliss. I can sit and pretend that those tween/teen years are not going to make 2-3-4 look like a cake walk. I can stick my fingers in my ears chanting "La-la-la-I-can't-hear-you" when you try to tell me that there are still going to be 'rough' days at 5 or "just wait to see what he learns in school."

Ignorant bliss. Do you hear me?

I'm going to sit and relish the moment when the days are good much more often than they're challenging. I'm going to enjoy this time when our biggest struggle is whether he reads the first line to me or I read it to him. I'm going to hoard the lot of kisses and cuddles I get today because I already see that it's coming to an end (we are already forbidden to fuss and "snuggle" in public.)

So far 4 11/12ths, as Logan will declare himself, is making 5 look mighty fine.