Lucas at Six

Lucas Keith.  Six years old sounds too old, too big, too independent!  Where is my little Lukey-bear?  Despite how old it sounds, there is still plenty of the Lukey-bear left.  He is the little boy who adores his stuffed animals – Snort the Dragon,  Nay the Horse, Big Eyes the Dalmatian, Dino-Mite the T-Rex, being favorites. The myriad creatures of various shapes and sizes that adorn his bed (and bedroom, playroom, kitchen, our car, and our bedroom) are cuddled and sweetly spoken to as well as used for punting practice.  Nevertheless, these are your children who call you Daddy (and disturbingly call me Grandma) and who you call your “little sweeties.”  And if I ever forget how little you are, I am reminded as I check on you before I got to bed each night, invariably finding you clutching your Aba and sucking your thumb.  I haven’t the heart to dislodge you from either yet.  However, I can’t deny that you are growing up and are so excited to move on to the next phases in life.  The other day I remarked that I wished you could stay in Kindergarten forever.  You excitedly responded, “But I want to see what first grade is like!”  An excellent reminder that this is your journey and I am so very lucky to be both your witness and your guide.

But back to you at six.  There is little you love more than your stuffed animals, but if there is anything, it might be sports.  This past year has introduced you to NFL and college football, the NCAA’s March Madness, and Scripps Ranch Little League.  You are a competitor through and through.  With laser-sharp focus you both watch sports and play them to win.  I dare say that one of the best moments in your life was winning the game ball at your inaugural T-Ball game.   And some of the worst moments involve watching the team you are rooting for lose.  Your reaction to the loss of a game by a team you just hours ago didn’t know existed is akin to a death scene in a Shakespearean tragedy.  Woe is you indeed.  It is that intensity, that passion, however, that makes you so successful in so much of what you do.  You are the strongest student in your class, you make great plays on the field, and you beam with pride as you tackle the monkey bars.  We admire your drive and have such confidence that you can achieve what you set your mind too.  However, my favorite moments are those that aren’t so serious.  Those moments when you sing “Shake your Bootie” and dance naked before bath, when you sneak up on me as the  “stealth hugger,” and when you sing silly songs to yourself when you think no one is watching.

Some of your favorite things at age six: The song “Moves Like Jagger,” The Voice, shooting free throws in the backyard and at school, PE at school, riddles, games you can play on my iphone, playing tag, monkey bars, obstacle courses, watching Wipeout with Pop-Pop, going on “dates” with Mommy or Daddy, hot chocolate, pizza, pasta with butter and parmesan, carrying groceries for me, and playing with your friends. 

Things you don’t like at six: ears getting plugged on airplanes and at the mountain, getting your clothes wet, most vegetables other than carrots, losing a game, and having to get up early for school.

Lucas, you are so bright and full of life.  You seem so certain of your place in this life as a winner, and I truly admire your confidence and willingness to take on a challenge.  You have me totally convinced that you will follow your heart and your dreams in life, and nothing could make me happier.  I love you so much, my sweet boy.