All about Dylan...

This kid is growing up so fast, and I just wanted to document the way he is right now.

Dylan is in the Reception class at Castledyke School.  He loves going to school every day, and I can actually threaten him with having to stay home instead of going to school if he is being naughty.  He is especially good at Math.  His teacher, Miss Richardson, calls him the class mathematician.  He loves numbers and counting, and they have started teaching him number sentences ahead of the rest of his class.  He also loves phonics, and is already reading on his own.  He sometimes needs help with tricky words, but he can sound out most words on his own.  He wants to be a scientist when he grows up.

I am constantly amazed by how smart he is!

Of course, with this intelligence comes a bit of social awkwardness.  Dylan still prefers to associate with grown-ups and will only play with children his age if he's told to.  But he is very kind to other children, and very friendly.  He's also very sensitive.  He loves cuddling and is wounded very easily if someone is mean to him.  He is especially bad when he is tired--not letting him choose the bedtime story will result in 4-year-old heartbreak!

Dylan is a bit of a scaredy cat.  He doesn't like to try new things and he is always very hesitant--with us.  If we want him to do something new and daring, we just need to make sure that there are older children around who are doing it.  Especially Esaias Munday, who he idolises!  

Dylan is a very good helper.  He doesn't like to tidy up, but he does help.  He is especially sensitive to real need, and when I am not well and need him to do things for me he always does them.  One of his favorite jobs is taking the recycling out to the bins.  He is also responsible for clearing his own place after meals and putting the cutlery on the table before meals, which he is brilliant at doing.

Ever since he was born, Dylan has been hard work.  Nobody can quite put their finger on why that is.  He is polite, well-mannered, kind, and intelligent.  He is very good at amusing himself if given a little direction.  But he is still exceptionally high maintenance.  

I adore my son though--watching him grow up is one of my chief pleasures, and I love how he is turning out (so far).