Enoch turns 6

We have a growing little boy on our hands... and he is officially 6 years old now!  I'm not even sure how to do a complete update post for Enoch,  but I'll at least give it a go.

First, for a few facts.  Enoch has lost 3 teeth, he wears a size 6 clothes and a size 12 or 13 in shoes.  He has daily chores, mainly in the morning, of unloading the dishwasher, feeding/watering the dog, and emptying the compost bucket.  He often also vacuums, helps fold/put away laundry, and mops the tile floors. Enoch and I do homeschool 4-5 days per week, usually while the girls nap, which ends up being good quality time for us.  Right now we cover Reading, Math, Handwriting, and Critical Thinking in school.  This Fall we technically consider him being in first grade (though we've been doing homeschool for quite awhile now), and that has opened up a few new opportunities for him.  First of all, he is playing flag football with a group of other 5-7 year old boys once a week.  Secondly, he began participating in the big boys' Sunday school class at our church (6-12 year olds), also once per week. And lastly, he has been engaged with a group called Trail Life, which focuses on building character and doing outdoor activities like camping (similar to Boy Scouts).   All of these additions have gone smoothly, and we've enjoyed seeing Enoch easing into new roles and relationships.



Now, for some random yet important things that I want to remember... Every morning the first thing Enoch does is climb in my lap and snuggle in the rocking chair.  He loves being read aloud to, and especially if you will rub his back or his arm while doing so (I think his strong love language is definitely physical touch).  When he has free time, Little Man enjoys building Legos (we have a block room pretty much devoted to them), creating in the school room with paper, glue, markers, scissors, rope, sticks, pipe cleaners, etc, playing outside, riding his bike, reading books, playing guitar, or helping me/Hugh with a project.

The three big kids get along pretty well when they're engaged with some task or fun activity, especially if it's outside.  Here are some specific details about relationships:  Karis is kind of like Enoch's little buddy.  They used to sit beside each other in the car, which bonded them quite a bit, I think.  He loves helping her care for her babies and laughing at her stories and dancing with her.  When she cries at night or throws a fit, he's usually the first one to come and try to cheer her up or figure out what's wrong.  Enoch loves riding bikes with Alaythia, having concerts with her, and reading alongside her.  They are both very similar (voices, reactions, strong-headed-ness, etc.), which means that they are either best friends or worst enemies.  :)  Enoch is still quite enamored with baby Zoe (6 mos old now).  He loves to make her laugh... all the time.  He is always willing to hold her, and he begs to help change her diaper and get her ready for bed.

Here are a few photos and videos to show what life with our Little Man is like these days.

Birthday morning snuggles

 

Birthday morning baking 

 Birthday cake decorating

And blowing out the candles (warning, it's a little loud at the beginning!):

Here's a poem Enoch memorized in school about being six.  It is titled "Now We Are Six" by A.A. Milne, and you can find the words here.  (He memorized it while writing in out for his handwriting practice.)

 

 Birthday lego set (he picked out this street sweeper/excavator combo, but here the machine hasn't been put together yet.)

 Reading with Alaythia while Daddy works on something in the car

Duck mask (he has also been into a creative/crafting spell lately where he makes masks, flags, pictures, and lots of other things) 

Our homeschool group has a Fall sports program that he participated in this year.  This is half of the little boys group, practicing flag football.  Enoch is the little boy in the green shirt on the far right. 

 Playing guitar

Enoch still loves to sing and play music, especially when he has an audience!

 We just got some kid knives, and he just loves cutting up our fruits and veggies that we eat for snack and lunch, which is a double win because it really does help me!

 Craft time with Alaythia at CFA.  We don't do this often because it is often crowded and crazy, but they both really enjoyed making crowns.

 Cutting and reading during school.  (We use All About Reading, and it has worked very well for us so far!)

 At the refuge with the girls.

 Enoch has a few Where is Waldo books in the car, and he loves reading them while we drive.

 More school stuff... Here he was showing me how to make 10 with addition using his blocks (1+8+1=10 or 5+5=10, etc.).  We use Math-U-See, and we both love it!!

 Dressing up in his Fall clothes.

 Loving on Zoe after her bath (he loves baby Zoe so much!)

Another one of his creations.  I love seeing glimpses of his theology being formed: "God is good." 

Shopping with Alaythia

And, if you're still here, then you're in for one last treat.  This is Enoch's favorite poem (so far), and he loves to quote it!  It is called "Wind on the Hill" by A.A. Milne.  (He also memorized this one by writing it out during school.)

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FFF: Enoch's Lego Machines

Enoch has been building fun little machines with his Legos quite a bit lately. Although he can follow the directions in the booklets pretty well to build the intended item from a set of blocks, he really enjoys combining block sets and building his own creative machines. Here are a few from yesterday.


This is a forklift, lifting up his piece of bread.


And this is a jackhammer, hammering a hole into his bread.

posted from Bloggeroid

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A Camping We Shall Go

The boys decided to take advantage of the truly Fall weather this weekend by camping outside!  They put the tent up in the backyard, they managed to sleep there all night, and they seemed to have a lot of fun in the whole process.

Now, the next question is, how will our little girls do in a tent outside??  We may not answer that one though until Spring.  ;)

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My Busy Worker (Boy) Bees

Hugh and Enoch have really gotten into quite the groove of working together well on Saturdays.  It is so cute to see my little guy learning alongside his Daddy, and they both really enjoy the time together!  Enoch has also just begun staying up during nap time on most days, which gives them even more time to conquer big projects (which I personally love!!).  For example, a few weeks ago, they tackled three things on Saturday:

the toilet...  it may not look like they did much, but they removed the whole thing, replaced some stuff under it because it was rocking; replaced the handle, which had broken and no longer flushed; and replaced the seat & lid because it had seen a few too many years of use.  From my perspective, it's like I have a totally new toilet for a fraction of the price!  (Hugh even cleaned it when he was done working on it.  ;)   

 They also mowed, weed-eated, and blew off the hard surfaces.  This was their first week allowing Enoch to help with the blower while Hugh operated the weed-eater.  He loved the extra responsibility and did a good job helping.

And then they tried out their newest gadget - a small chainsaw attachment that works with our weed-eater (kind of like a power pole saw).  It hooked up easily, and Hugh cut quite a few branches with it.  

testing it out on an old dead branch 

 Can you see him up there?  He cut back all of the branches that were touching our roof.  Enoch then helped him haul them off to the street.  :)

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FFF: 4 Year Old Enoch

Here is a quick update on Enoch.  It is hard to believe that he is already 4!!!  Hugh and I both so enjoy this little guy, and we are so thankful to see the ways he is growing, developing, and changing.  We enjoy the stories he tells, the music he makes, and the excitement he displays.  As I look back at the past year, here are some things I want to remember about this stage:

Potty training is finally going well.  In fact, Enoch is almost always in big boy underwear these days, unless we go on a long car trip or he is sleeping in bed.  (Though I should say that accidents do still happen for us, and I keep an extra pair of pants in the car, just in case!)

Discipline is still an on-going thing for Enoch, but it is much less common than it was during his 2nd and 3rd years.  It is very easy for Hugh and I to discern if we have his heart or if he is in a rebellious funk.  With the former, he is just the cutest little helper and such a joy to be around.  With the latter, his rebellion is evident through his words and deeds and continues to be a controlling factor until we deal with it.

Playing- Some of Enoch's favorite things to do these days include: playing with machines in the dirt, throwing a ball, shopping for groceries in his kitchen, building with blocks, creating music, reading books with Mama or Daddy, listening to music or audio books on CD, going for walks outside, and playing in the sink or tub.  He still does a good job playing independently, and I typically give him 2 or 3 chances per day to do that.  We have recently begun playing some games (simple ones from Chick Fil A or physical games like chase), which he really enjoys. 


Physical-  Enoch has grown a few inches in height over the past year and slimmed down quite a bit.  He can now jump easily, do a flip in the grass, ride a balance bike (he is at least learning this), kick a ball, and carry big things.  He loves helping bring Karis' walker to her or putting the box of plastic kitchen play food up on top of his kitchen.

Helping with laundry

Music- I feel like this needs its own category now because Enoch is so interested in music.  He especially appreciates live music (though he does NOT like people in a large crowd clapping... it still freaks him out, so that's a bit of a hindrance to him getting to see many performances).  He listens mostly to Christian music (old hymns, contemporary songs, and Bible verses put to music) but he also enjoys classical, country, and marching band styles.  Hugh recently moved his music stuff to the garage (so that it doesn't wake up any napping sisters), so Enoch is able to create music more freely now, and he often brings a harmonica or recorder along on walks or on the way to the car.

Eating- I think Enoch eats a bit less than he did when he was 3.  At any given meal, he eats a bit less than I do, though if the food is extra delicious, he can certainly put away two full size plates of it.  ;)  He generally eats anything we put in front of him, though he prefers to not eat potatoes (unless mashed with gravy) or beets.  He also really appreciates foods made by our international friends (Indian, Bangladeshi, Iranian, Chinese, and Cameroonian).  I do still try to give him a glass of milk with his 3 main meals per day, and then he typically drinks water with his snack(s).

reading to Karis

Siblings- Overall Enoch has grown closer to his sisters over the past year.  I think this is especially true for Karis.  When we drop Karis off for therapy or school, Enoch is always with me, and he often says something like this:

Enoch: "Mama, where's Karis?" 
Me: "She is at therapy right now."
Enoch: "Oh... well I really miss her...  Can we go back and get her now?"
Me: "No, but we will pick her up after (whatever our next activity is, like shopping)."
Enoch:  "Okay... that's fine, but I sure do miss her."

And sometimes when Enoch and I eat lunch without Karis (she is at school), he will pray, "and Father, please keep Karis safe while she is away from Mama."  Isn't that sweet?  It does my heart good to see him growing in his affections for his sister.  He also loves Alaythia, and is *sometimes* real gentle with her, but I expect that some of that may change when she moves out of the baby stage.

holding his newborn

Resources-

• This book by Lach ("Can You Hear It?) is one of Enoch's favorites and really got him interested in classical music (it comes with a CD).  I would highly recommend it! 
•  Fighter Verses This is a great way to be memorizing scripture with your kids.  It is through Desiring God ministries and each week, there is a new verse with a song that is word for word from the ESV Bible.  We love listening to the new song each week, and then after a year of songs, they typically make all the music available on a CD, which we then pop in the car for an easy review session.  :)
• The Verse Project is a great complement to the fighter verses. 

Other Photos-

One of his favorite places! 

Working the electricity set with Daddy

In the zone!

doing a little taste testing for a school project

 one of his favorite "contributions" to the family

this was at Touch a Truck earlier in the Spring

smiling with his sisters in Nashville

showing Karis the trains

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Enoch's 1st Football Game

Daddy and Enoch got to enjoy a Mississippi State football game a few weeks back thanks to some thoughtful friends of ours.  It was Enoch's first football game ever and Hugh's first MS State game, so they were both pretty excited! 

The game began around 6:30, but we weren't real sure how long Enoch would last since he has an early bedtime and isn't usually a big fan of loud noises, so the boys went early to watch the team warm up and then stayed for the entire first quarter.  They enjoyed a funnel cake and some lemonade along with some beautiful weather.  I think the picture below summarizes their feelings quite well... they both had fun but it was a little on the loud side.  ;) 

When they returned home, Enoch was talking non-stop about the game.  I got a little bit of it on video just because I thought it was funny what all things he remembered.  Hopefully you'll be able to understand his excited talking! {You'll hear him talk about the crowd saying "woo," going home, white things on their hats, little flags on the grass, playing football again and again, ringing his bell, not wanting to ring his bell, white funnel cake with crumbs, the stadium, the crowd saying woo (which he didn't like), and matching Daddy a little bit.}

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Sick Boy

No FFF last week because poor Enoch got sick on Thursday night with Strep Throat.  Thankfully we caught it early and the medicine that our doc gave us worked quickly because boy was he pitiful!  Daddy took good care of him though with lots of snuggles, book reading, and love.  (Hugh took over caring for Enoch so that I could take care of Karis in hopes that that we could avoid her getting sick, which seems to have worked this time.)

Thankfully, he is better now and back to his normal routine of eating, playing, and being a rambunctious boy.  :)

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Enoch Live: Singing with the guitar

Just a short video of the live concert I received just the other day.  :)


Enoch hasn't ever actually strummed the guitar AND sang like this simultaneously until this week, so I was so thankful to get it on video!  (He is singing "Holy, Holy, Holy" in case you can't understand him.)

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Learning how to jump

Enoch is officially learning how to jump these days! He really likes the idea of jumping, but he hasn't quite figured out the whole "both feet off the ground" trick yet, though he is quite good at squatting down before each attempt.

As you can see below, he and Daddy love practicing together... which is definitely a good thing because I think he will need quite a bit more practice before he has gotten the hang of it. ;)  (the background noise in this one is Karis working really hard to grab my phone)


This is the stump in the ground that Enoch and Daddy have dubbed the "high place."  Hugh's pretty sure that going up on the stump (what Enoch calls "going up high") will be instrumental in Little Man learning how to jump.  As you can see though, right now he isn't doing much jumping...  hehe

posted from Bloggeroid

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FFF: Enoch in Action

Here are a few "action" shots for your Friday...  hopefully the last one isn't TMI.

playing

more playing

and peeing!

(not fully potty trained yet, just starting to get used to going peepee in the "bafrum")

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Machine!!

We have had road construction near our house for months now, and every time we drive toward it, Enoch begins yelling "cheen, cheen, more cheen" asking to see the machines involved with the construction.  ;)  Typically we'll at least see a few machines parked and waiting, but on some occasions we actually do see them using the machines.  Recently though, most of the exciting machines have moved further down the street, away from my daily driving path, meaning that we see less of them, which is quite the bummer for my Little Guy.

I was telling my mom (I think) about Enoch's excitement over those machines a week or so ago, and she said that I needed to just let that poor boy stop and watch those machines work for a little while.  And so, earlier this week it just so happens that when we drove by the machines a few key things fell into place and we were able to stop and watch them (namely, Karis wanted to nurse and there was a good parking place across the street from the machines).  So I nursed Karis while Enoch enjoyed the excavator working.  And I'm pretty sure he didn't miss anything that excavator did because his eyes never left it.  ;)

Here's a video of the machine and Enoch the spectator.

Though I am certainly not planning to stop and gawk at these construction workers everyday or anything, I am so thankful that the Lord provided at least one chance for us to stop and let Enoch enjoy the show!  And truly, it was His perfect timing because not only did we get a good parking spot and have a content (nursing) baby, but the machine was incredibly active the whole 20 minutes we were parked and watching!

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