Growing Pains

Thane turned 5 1/2 a few weeks ago, and it hit me just how quickly he is growing up.  For the longest time it seemed that he was stuck in that in-between toddler/big boy stage.  And in a small way, I was content with that.  Lately though, he seems to be maturing quite a bit and insists that he can figure things out on his own. Things like manning the campfire and roasting everyone's hot dogs for dinner.  He kind of even knows what he is doing:  "Mom, you DON"T put green wood on a fire!"

He still continues to play outside any chance he can get.  He loves flying his kite, digging for worms, and building things with his tools.  He especially loved helping Jordan trim the trees.

Of course, he'll always be Jordan's little shadow.

I am thrilled for all of this, of course.  It's as it should be.  Still, I was surprised to find myself getting a little misty-eyed while packing away his beloved play-dough toys last week.

No matter how tall he grows or how quickly he becomes a little man, there will always be a special place in my heart for my little boy.