Wow, the big FIVE. I have always thought of five as a big milestone, but being on the parent side of stuff has really given me some good insight into what makes this age range such a fun time. Here is my short list:
1) The kid forks and plates are used less and less.
Actually, we really don't need to use them at all, but we still do really mainly to keep up the supply of clean adult plates (as conversely I have been known to eat with the Mickey Mouse fork when it was the only clean fork in drawer). He does completely fine with the salad forks and small spoons as well as normal plates. Although, he isn't totally eating off the fine china yet, we are still die hard Take N Toss cup users. There are probably four under the seats of my car right now.
2) You have to turn sideways through doorways.
He got big. As I am writing this he is laying on the couch beside me and kicking me because he is now longer than half the couch. It wasn't too long ago when I used to sit with him on the couch and he wasn't as long as the couch cushion was wide. Now when I scoop him up and take him to bed, I have to turn at doorways to get his head or feet to clear.
3) He isn't fooled by ridiculously healthy food.
Pretty much since he started eating solid food, pancakes and waffles have always been our reliable breakfast go-to. And partly because it isn't healthy and partly because it results in sticky hands, we purposefully did not introduce syrup. He didn't complain for years. But at some point recently he discovered it (I might be to blame). And once you have gone syrup, there is no going back.
4) The stroller is really gone.
I know there isn't some magic age where riding in a stroller is against the law or something, but when the legs start dragging the ground, it is time to take it in consideration. We got a lot of good miles out of the old umbrella stroller, but its time is done. He can walk a long way now and doesn't complain. When we go out to the Union trails, he can actually trail run with me for a ridiculous long time. He still gets plenty of rides in grocery carts though!
5) The camera is rolling.
This is probably the most exciting and unnerving thing about this age. This is where your real memory starts. We have some memories from when we are younger, but they are typically more feelings and images. From five on, the camera is rolling. Repressed memories make good Oprah shows, but rarely happen in real life. Sure there might be a few nights in young adulthood with some alcohol induced amnesia, but for the most part, everything you see and hear past five years old will stay with you for the rest of your life. So all the fun and good times will stick with him, but we have to be extra careful as well. Which might mean only watching the TV version of Friday for a while (even though it really isn't funny at all when it is clean).
