My baby is five.  He seems to think he’s on the verge of adulthood, though.  Lucas tends to believe that there is nothing his older siblings can do that he can’t do.  He vacuums and mops, he fixes broken door handles and tapes up ripped book spines (all of his own volition).  He is pretty close to holding his own in races, and can still quite effectively tackle anyone. He has fairly successfully learned to play games not really meant for four year-olds (right now monopoly and chess are two of his favorites) so that he can interact with his older siblings (major kudos to the big brothers and sisters who have been so patient with his learning curve).  His analytical abilities astound me sometimes (like being able to figure out how to fix the broken door handle), and his comprehension of ideas that he’s presented with in books and movies is beyond his five years.

Lucas’s love for anything fast has remained constant.  When he was just a couple years old, it was cars, then the Flash, now Sonic.  He races around on his bicycle, and more than once has snuck out to the car or the tractor to “practice” being behind the wheel.

After mostly turning his nose up at the thought of being read to for the first four years of his life, Lucas has finally started to enjoy it, and will happily bring me a stack of books and snuggle up next to me.  He seems to have a particular fondness for books he finds funny, and I love getting to see and hear him laugh at his favorite parts.

Compassion, and emotions in general, run deep in this kid.  He is very aware if someone around him is sick or hurting.  He feels offenses very deeply, and takes notice of the moods of the people around him.  Big smiles and big hugs get even bigger smiles and bigger hugs from him in return.  He struggles to understand why he can’t always get his way, and in general puts more stock in how he feels about something than he really should.  We’re working on finding the balance in keeping him soft-hearted, but rational, too.

In truth, Lucas pushes so many more limits than I could have imagined possible.  But I was noting to Tim just the other day about how, more and more, those pushed limits have been manifesting instead as his self-motivation for accomplishing something, and his ability to identify what needs doing and figuring out how to get it done.  As so often happens, the areas where refining is necessary are also the areas where we see vast potential, and it makes me excited to see how God will shape him and use him in years to come.

I am so thankful for Lucas and blessed by the joy and exuberance he adds to each and every day.  What a wonderful gift these five years with him have been.