The Ortega Family: 5 years old!

Five years ago our lives changed forever when we had this little guy:

Isaiah turned 5 in July and that is just so crazy! It seems like all a blur because it goes by so fast. I always looked at people with kids about 5 years of age and think that they were in such a different place than me. And here I am now...with a soon to be Kindergartner! Life is just getting busier, and I'm trying to make a better effort of documenting every step. Looking back at his pictures he really hasn't changed much.

1 Yr

2 Yrs

3 Yrs

4 Yrs

5 Yrs

What a blessing he is to our family. We would not be as exciting if he wasn't here to bring fun and laughter into our lives. He is stubborn and talks back tons...the apple doesn't fall far from the tree as his doc says. But he is so smart, and loves to learn. He can count all the way to 100, read the entire book "Hop on Pop" by Dr. Seuss, writes so good, and still loves art. He says that was his favorite thing in preschool. He could play board games and card games for hours, and is quick to tell you if you are not playing right. Favorite colors: purple, red and blue. Favorite friend: Jonas. Favorite Food: Macaroni and Cheese. He refuses to drink soda because we have always told him it was not good for him. He has maybe had 1 sip his whole life.

Lately I have been having issues with his constant teasing of his little brother. I know it's just sibling rivalry...but he can get pretty mean. The other morning after they were fighting at breakfast I told them to keep their hands to themselves. I started doing dishes and I overheard him tell Xavier,"Stretch out your arm and hit my face, but not too hard." He was trying to get him in trouble. This happens all of the time! He is very clever and I have to pick my battles throughout the day. But, I do know that he loves Xavier very much.

He is 44 inches tall and weighs 44 lbs. That puts him in the 75th percentile for his growth. He is healthy and doing good. I would have to say that the characteristic that I love most about him is that he has the ability to laugh at himself no matter what. He is not very sensitive at all when it comes to laughing at something he said or did, in fact he loves it. Being a goof ball is what he enjoys, and I'm so happy that he has that confidence.

His birthday fell on a weekday. Isaiah requested donuts for breakfast, so Santiago woke up a little earlier to get them. We sang Happy Birthday and gave him his present before Santiago had to leave for work. He is now getting into Lego's, so that's what he got for a gift...he has rebuilt them over and over by himself.

We had plans to go to the water park during the day, but it was sprinkling in the morning (so random) and I knew that the water would be too cold. Being that it was his birthday, Isaiah was upset that there was no party for him even though he knew we were having one in a few days. I wasn't planning on doing anything big that evening because Santiago had to attend an evening work meeting, and also a softball game. I decided to take all three kids to Johns Incredible Pizza by myself and wait for Santiago to join us. He ditched his game and came straight from his meeting. I was so glad when he finally got there! Trying to carry food for three people plus carrying a baby was no easy task! The boys enjoyed eating their pizza and watching cartoons.