A whole Hand...the birthday boy!

You guys, I can't believe my baby is 5.  And to be totally honest, I'm sort of having a hard time with it.  Ok not sort of, I am having a hard time with it.  Kai was two, but three months close to being three when we got him.  I couldn't wait until he turned three, and then I couldn't wait until he turned four.  I'm not sure why, other than those ages where hard.  We where going through a hard transition into becoming Mother and Son.  And I realize now that I should have savored the tiny bit of  baby time I had with him, and it WAS tiny.  Next year Kai will go to Kindergarten.  Which means all day everyday school, I am so not ready.  It seems like we just got him home and now he is going to be gone all the time.  At this point I'm not sure he is ready yet either, but I keep thinking a lot will change before then.
He is so grown up now, so smart and articulate.  He beats me every time we play Memory.  He uses phrases like " that's ridiculous" and "how disgusting".  He is very close to reading.  He is sassy, he is nosey ,he loves to be in charge, he loves to help, and he LOVES watching TV. We feel so bad for him sometimes because he absolutely craves the company of other kids and that is one thing he just doesn't get that often.  This kid is a charmer on every level.
I'm happy to say that even though Kai is a big boy now, he still thinks I'm cool.  Sometimes I could just burst at the way he loves me.  The way he brushes my hair out of my face, kisses my forehead when I'm sleeping, wraps his arms around my neck and pats my back.  He compliments me on my outfits, he says things like "Mommy, your hair is getting so long!", he wants to be close to me 24/7.  And heaven forbid Reuben does or says something he deems offensive towards me because he stands up for me every time.  He is so quick to forgive me if I mess up or speak a little too harshly.  He is happy 90% of the time. He is the life of every party.  I could learn quite a few lessons from this kid!
     That being said Kai also loves his Daddy.  The first words out of his mouth almost every morning are "where's Daddy?".  He asks Reuben all the time if he has enough money now so he doesn't have to work any more.  He seriously can't get enough of his Daddy.  He wants to be like him so bad.  Hairy legs, fat tummy and all:) He imitates his Daddy, eats cheesecake with precisely the same motions as his Daddy, says words and phrases the same way, and can hardly contain the giggles and excitement when he gets to ride in Daddy's truck and go to Troyers for a bologna sandwich.                                                           
Kai loves all his family so fiercely, it brings tears to my eyes thinking that there was a time in his life where he had none. I really feel like at this point Kai's memories of the first years of his life are fading, at least from the front of his mind, he understands that he came from China, but I'm not sure that he understands that not EVERYONE came from China.  He has really been showing an interest in speaking mandarin lately and will sit and listen to phrases on google translate and try to repeat them.
  This year we are doing a low key birthday, Kai requested going to Texas Roadhouse and having the people sing for him and shine the light in his face with Grandma Cindy, the rest of the family can come too he says.  He also wants a snowman cake, so Mommy, who is no baker, is attempting to make one. So it's just us tomorrow for the day and then we will party in the evening, I'm planning to just play with him all day and make the beautiful snowman cake. *wink *wink.  So here is to five years olds and low key, but special birthdays!  Hopefully this year will be the year Kai becomes a big brother(:

My baby Kai at 2 years.

Mommy's big boy on his new bike!