Oliver is 6!

Oliver Neil turned 6 the other day. Or, as Lola likes to say now, he's a "6er." We call him that because he is a self-proclaimed "Lego Master" and that's what we call Lego bricks that are 6 dots long. As you'll see from the pictures below, it was of course a Lego birthday. (Side note: we have officially implemented a Lego moratorium in our house that will probably remain in place for at least six months. Actually, strike that. Oliver got some birthday cash and gift cards that he already knows which ginormous Lego set he wants to get. But, after that, a moratorium for sure!)Oliver is a real mixed bag these days. He's doing pretty well in school. He is one of the top readers in his class, which admittedly is a very small class of seven, but I'm fairly certain for his age he is an excellent reader and has a great vocabulary. (Did you hear that story over on NPR's All Things Considered about the "Word Gap"? I know my kids have learned a number of "adult" words they'd be better with out. But, one can hear about the crucial difference early education can make for a child's future success and I think we've done a decent job exposing them to a diverse vocabulary.) Alongside his academic achievements, however, are also some aggravating behavioral issues at school like name-calling, disobedience, and at times downright disrespect for his teachers. We are trying to take it in stride. We have sacrificed a great deal this past year keeping him at Lighthouse (a private-ish kindergarten) for the added attention and instruction he receives and I know they emphasize the importance of being a good person. So we'll let him work out this rebelliousness over time.He's much the same at home. He is sweet–when Lola was sick a few weeks back, very uncharacteristic for her, and was throwing up, Oliver would grab the bowl we put by her bed and hold it up to her face so she could yak in that. He is also defiant–foot stomping, ear-plugging, tongue sticking knucklehead. He is hilarious at times, can talk non-stop about things that excite him, and asks very philosophical questions about life, the stars, and coconut-eating hammerhead sharks.Happy Birthday Oliver Neil!