2moms2dogs2babies: 5 Years Old!

I have two 5-year olds (as of May 29th!). Kids, not toddlers. I've been particularly nostalgic this year as I watch Logan and am reminded of the girls at this stage.

Teagan and Quinn were extremely excited to turn 5 this year. These days, there is a big focus on who is what age. They were given a hard time by their friends who turned 5 late last year or early this year. Not surprisingly, they quickly forgot how much it bothered them and immediately started talking about how their friend, H, was "only" 4. I asked them how it had made them feel a few months ago when their friends did the same thing. "Sad", was the reply. They quickly stopped.

On the morning of their 5th birthday...almost to the exact time of birth :) 7:28am and 7:41am respectively.

The school year is coming to an end and so (almost) completes their first year of Kindergarten. They have both loved and thrived in JK. I couldn't be happier with their school, teacher and program. I love that they're rarely sitting still. They spend their day moving about the classroom to different centres, going to gym class, drama, music and receives tons of outside time, including lots of free play. Both girls really improved in the reading and writing departments. Teagan has an incredible memory and can easily recall words and even books after just reading them once or twice. Quinn seems to really enjoy math and art. She's incredibly creative and often adds a unique spin to art projects. The girls have made some great friends (who have very nice moms - lucky me!), so it's nice to see them thriving socially too. They seem to have a group who they spend most of their time with, but do frequently branch out and play with other kids too. We have had lots of conversations about being kind and inclusive.

Throughout this school year, the girls participated in a variety of sports; skating, hockey, gymnastics, taekwondo, swimming and soccer. They've seemed to really enjoy it all. Swimming has been the only requirement in my book. It's a life skill that is absolutely necessary until they prove to be solid swimmers. The rest of the activities are up to them. Quinn's skating improved a ton this year. She flies around the ice now. She's as fearless as ever - amazing and terrifying for Mommy! Teagan gained quite a bit of confidence throughout the year and is skating much better. They got to play hockey with their two good friends so that was a huge hit. For part of the year, they had a incredible instructor, so getting them off the ice was often tough. Taekwondo was a new addition in the new year. They had seen a karate class and asked me for months if they could try it too. Their class is close by and the instructor is phenomenal -- a lot of fun, but very firm at the same time. The kids really respect him and I love the discipline that martial arts teaches. They're slowly working their way towards the next belt. The girls asked to play soccer this year, but so far, it doesn't seem to be a huge hit. We had to have a talk about trying our best and listening to the instructor at the last class.

The girls have the most incredible imaginations. They rarely play with toys anymore. If they do, the toys are used for something else (ie. dog food at their imaginary pet store). I am loving this age for their imaginations -- they will get lost in their own little world for ages. One day they are acrobats and the next they are chiropractors adjusting their animals. When they have friends over, they often play "family" or "school". Teagan tells me that she is often the dog!

Their energy still remains endless. They can play for hours, ride scooters, hike 5K and still have energy to spare. They love to wrestle and can be pretty rough with each other. People used to tell me that I was in for it while pregnant with a boy. Poor Logan is going to have to keep up with his sisters! My mom jokes, half-seriously, that their energy comes from being such healthy eaters. Thankfully, they generally are. Quinn has become somewhat picky in the last year or so. She can be quite unpredictable -- liking chicken one day and hating it the next for example. Typical kid, I know. She almost always eats, but sometimes does so reluctantly. She has gone to bed a handful of times not having eaten dinner. Teagan has always been a solid eater. She gravitates towards healthy, nutrient-dense foods. She devours meals and often tells me how delicious they are :)