Look who is 6!!!!

 

 

The "baby" is 6.  I find it funny that he hates it when anyone refers to him as anything but a big boy, but yet still let's Rich call him Baby everyday.  He is the only one who can say it and get away with it.  Maybe because that is what Rich has called him since he was five minutes old, so Ryan is used to it, but all others get the death stare. 

There are reasons books are written about birth order and the difference of personalities amongst siblings.  Because it doesn't make sense to me sometimes how we can raise two boys, in the same household with the same rules, and they be so different.  Matthew is his father.  Ryan is more like me.  I own that.  I fear it....but I own it.  He is constantly reading the room to see who would be willing to play along in his world.  He is one of the funniest kids I have ever been around and thrives on the attention.  He can walk into a room with only his underwear on and dance around, commanding your attention, and get you to belly laugh at the drop of a hat.  He loves hard.  Period.  He is mad crazy about Rich.  If Rich is upset with him about something, Ryan cannot go to bed until he knows that he and Rich are okay.  I think it is physically impossible for Ryan to go to sleep at night without a kiss and a hug from Rich and assurance that they are okay.  This is not necessarily the case with me.  He has no problem seeing me in the morning.  True story.  Last weekend we were at my Aunt Mary's house and she said something that was so dead on it was scary because she has not really been around the boys that much.  She said, "Ryan's going to make a lot of money when he gets older.  And Matthew's going to manage it."  It fits.

 

This is what six looks like. 

Now, moving backwards...

On New Years Ever, the boys stayed the night at my moms.  They had gotten this roller coaster from her and she told them it was a perfect project for a New Years We-Have-To-Stay-Up-To-Watch-The-Ball-Drop Eve.  So Matthew set forth on his quest to put the entire thing together.  It was over a thousand pieces and it took him about 6 1/2 hours to put it all together. 

She took several pictures throughout the night and sent them to us so that we could see his progress.  He only took a break to eat.  I told her to keep him hydrated because once he starts, it is almost impossible for him to shut off the need to finish and complete it.

Proud boy.

Doesn't he look helpful?

This was midnight.  He started at 5:30.  She told him to go to bed and finish in the morning.

Following morning.

Ahhh...sweet victory.  Doesn't he look exhausted.  He really couldn't have been happier.

Amazing job Matthew.