Growing Up

Everett is growing up.  I can tell that his sense of reality is becoming stronger and more definite.  A few nights ago when I was tucking him into bed, I commented on the frost covering a storm window in his room.

"Everett, look!"  I said, " The frost is glittering on your window!"

Everett looked and was unimpressed.  "Mom, I've got to tell you something.  That frost is not glittering.  It is just the light shining through and reflecting on the ice."  Everett was unapologetic but empathetic to my feelings in his statement.

I laughed.  "How do you know that, Everett?"

"I dunno.  I just do," Everett replied with a nonchalant shrug.

One morning last week Everett asked me for permission to do something.  I don't remember what it was, but I do remember that since I didn't have an explainable reason for my answer, I answered with the most frustrating answer known to man.

"Because," I told Everett.

Everett was impatient.  "Because is not an answer," he informed me.

I laughed, then replied with the second most frustrating answer known to man, "Because I said so."

Everett accepted this answer without argument, which leads me to believe that he is not too grown-up yet.  Don't tell this to him, though.  Everett refers to himself as a "grown-up kid."

Until recently he has not wanted to even discuss going to kindergarten.  I haven't worried about it.  We still have six months to prep him for it.  Yesterday, as we were on our way to the library, Everett informed me that he decided kindergarten would be a fun place.

"What made you decide that?" I asked.

"I had a dream last night that I went to kindergarten and I liked it!" Everett beamed from the back seat.  I asked him what the dream was about.  He was fuzzy on the details but apparently he made a friend and they played some fun games.  Yep, that's about right.  I thought he might have dreamed that they got to fly in a rocket ship to outer space or something equally as outlandish and exciting.

On Monday, after a Family Home Evening lesson in which we discussed that we are all children of God, Everett asked me where Heavenly Father lives.

"Does he live in outer space?  I could tell that Everett thought this sounded right but wasn't quite sure.

"No, Heavenly Father lives in heaven."

"But where is Heaven?"  Everett was trying to figure the whole thing out.  Unfortunately, I did not have a concrete answer for him.

"I don't know, Everett.  But what is important is that you know that he loves you and can hear you talk to him."  I was relieved that Everett wasn't frustrated by my answer.  Sometimes human nature leads us to try to find complicated answers for everything and I am glad he has not reached that point yet.

Everett has become very interested in building things.  Yes, mostly he builds weapons or space ships.  This is a picture of Everett with his "Kaiact."  It shoots enemies.  Everett even spelled it for me: K-Y-M-L-F.  Make sense?  I try to remember how much fun he has when he goes around the house cutting string, using all my tape, and assembling random objects together--including pieces that may or may not be from something I need.  "Mom, I thought of a new invention!" Everett will announce, and my irritation dissipates.

One day Everett brought me a piece of paper with little squiggles on it.  "I made up a new language," he announced.  He was very proud of himself.  He even spoke a few words of the language for me, but since I don't possess the gift of tongues, I cannot translate for you.  You'll have to be content to look at the scribbles.

Everett is also still interested in making up stories.  All of his pictures go along with some sort of narrative.  In this one, the Monster (figure on the right) is mean and locks up the Alien (figure on the left) in a brick enclosure.  "But then the alien realizes that he has red lasers coming out of his arms and he breaks free!"  Everett gleefully announces.  A whole bunch of other stuff happens, too (see drawings at the bottom), but since I don't have the fresh mind of a five-year-old, I can't remember.

Well, that sums up my Everett.  I love this little guy.  He knows how to take care of all his siblings.  He still has to kiss me three times on the cheek each night.   He still likes to sneak in bed with me in the mornings.  He still thinks I'm pretty tall.  He still thinks I have all the answers, and he is just so much fun.

Basically, what it all comes down to is this:  even though Everett thinks five is practically grown-up, I'm sure glad it isn't!