The Zorio Family: Carter is FIVE

Carter has an important role in our family. No, I'm not talking about his role as the middle boy, the younger brother, or the older brother...No, I'm talking about the important job he does as our family comedian! :) Carter has always loved making us laugh and will do anything to get a laugh out of anyone. Many times he's the much needed comic relief during hectic moments. Carter is a free spirit in this way. He will say anything or do anything just to make others smile or laugh! I LOVE THIS! One "comedy routine" he's been doing regularly here lately is pretending to be "an old Grandpa" as he says. He sings this funny song "I'm an old grandpa walking down the street" that he of course made up and he always adds dance moves or verses to it. He's so funny. He makes great faces, does hysterical dances....just.so.funny! His big brown eyes just twinkle when he does these things while he waits on us to laugh. Oh, Carter I love how you love bringing joy through laughter to others.

Carter is our "feeler"-as much as he feels the laughter and joy from others when he's being silly, he's also the most sensitive. When he's feeling sad about something it's difficult to get him past this. We struggled with this a little this school year about him going to school. He would tell me how much he missed me and just cry. (He only goes to school 3 hours on Thursdays and 3 hours on Fridays so it's not like he's away that much!) But anything he feels he completely feels that emotion. If Carter does something he knows is wrong, it's not too uncommon for him to shed a tear as he apologizes-this is especially true if he accidentally hurts someone when they're playing rowdy! I love his sweet, sensitive little heart. His sensitive nature means he seems to know just when we need a joke (cue the family comedian), or a hug, or kiss. Carter has always been our most affectionate child and he continues to be. Sweet boy!

Carter doesn't do anything half-heartily....if he's going to do something he's 200 percent committed. This is true with making us laugh, with his emotion, with sports-he was determined he was going to play soccer this year (Fall and Spring). He would tell us his goal (this is all on his own, I put none of this pressure on him!) of how many goals he wanted to score before each game. He pushes himself and is determined to be the BEST! I gave Carter my old FitBit which tracks steps....he thinks he has to have the most steps in each day in our family. Sometimes if he knows he is behind he will ask if he can go outside and run circles around the house. He's gets so committed and focused.

Carter LOVES math! He is amazing at subtraction and addition. When we are in the car he always either wants to count as high as he can (which he knows certain distances "I can count to 464 before we get from our house to my school" because he has done this before-many, many times) or if he's not asking to count he wants me to ask him "math questions" which are either addition or subtraction facts or word problems. He does several math worksheets a week and begs for more! He really just loves math! While I have been working on sight words with him, and he does really well, he just seems to excel in math! I'm so impressed by his math skills.

Carter has done well in preschool this year and only has about a month left at this point. He hasn't loved going every day (see comments above on emotional and missing Mommy), but after he gets there he's great. (That doesn't make the mornings any easier though!) His teachers are so, so nice and sweet and always give me reports of what a good helper Carter is, a good example, and a kind friend. I love these good reports, of course. He has a sweet little friend at school this year, Sadie, and Carter always has lots to tell me about his friend Sadie.

Carter is a great little brother to Dawson, and I can tell he really looks up to Dawson. He is also a great big brother to Nora Kate and Clayton. Carter and Nora Kate are two peas in a pod. They will just play and play while Dawson's at school. They are both so great about using their imagination that it's fun to watch and play with them! Sometimes we watch Carter and Nora Kate running around together and John and I say "they're as thick as thieves" They defiantly do try to protect each other and both of their personalities are that of not feeling they have to follow the rules 100percent all the time. Carter is also a wonderfully sweet big brother to Clayton. Everyone babies Clayton, and Carter is no different. He always helps give him snacks, his cup, play with him, teach him words, etc. Carter (being the comedian he is) told Clayton grapes were "HOT" one day. Now when Clayton gets grapes he says "hot"...we are working to reverse this teaching, but every time Clayton says it Carter beams with pride that 1-he taught Clayton something and 2-that it's inaccurate and therefore funny!

Our original plan was that Carter would have one more year of preschool after this one, but he has learned to much this year at school and at home that we are going to go ahead and send him to Kindergarten in August. John and Carter's teachers think this is the right decision, and while I'm sure he will do well I still have trouble knowing that Carter is "only 5" (I know, I know) and going to Kindergarten. He is so, so excited though, although I'm going to miss having him with me ALL the time!!!!!

Carter had his 5 year check up and had to get two shots (poor guy) and a finger stick, but he took them all like a champ. He's 43.5 inches tall and 42 pounds.