Carter-buggins, we don't want to forget about him!

Some things I want to remember about Carter:

He is our sensitive child. He gets very upset if his sisters accuse him of saying or doing something he didn't say or do. When he gets hurt or is upset, he is the one who welcomes hugs the easiest. It is very common for him to get quite upset over little things. One day after school he got so busy playing and doing other things that he forgot about having an after school snack. By the time dinner was almost ready, he remembered, and then was quite distraught because I would not let him have a snack because we would be eating dinner in a matter of minutes! He likes for things to be in order, he likes routine, and so he almost refused to eat because he wanted his snack first, then dinner!

Looking back at these moments, it is quite comical, but not very comical....at all....dealing with them in real time. When Carter was younger, he was very OCD about things. For awhile, I actually thought he had Asperger's, but he is thriving and not nearly so bad. He was horribly sensitive to smells, still is but not as severe, did not handle change well at all, threw terrible, terrible tantrums from age 3-4, and would get upset over minor details like me cutting his sandwich the wrong way, preparing his cereal in the wrong order and putting the sugar on the rice crispies before pouring the milk, and could not function if I put a toy away in the improper place at bedtime, or he wouldn't go to sleep until his covers were all tucked in around his mattress.

Once Carter feels comfortable and accepts things the way he likes them to be, it is hard for him to do it differently. For our morning routine before school, he likes things to stay relatively the same. He wakes up, gets dressed, eats breakfast, brushes his teeth, then puts on his coat and backpack. If we really mix that order up, he doesn't handle it well. But as he gets older, it gets better. He is very sensitive to certain things, and as long as we are aware of those things, he is pretty easy to please and get along with.

Carter is naturally athletic and easily learns how to do anything physical. If someone shows him how to do a cartwheel, it only takes him a few tries before he has it down. He is very strong too, and can do almost 10 pull-ups, and one night he decided he was going to do 100 sit-ups so that's exactly what he did! He learned how to ride his bike before Anna, and pretty much shows her how to do things like climbing trees and tricks on the monkey bars and trampoline.

Carter caught on to swimming super fast as well. Last summer he passed his level with ease, while Anna barely did not pass. They were in the same class. She was pretty upset that Carter would be ahead of her. We told her that if she worked on the few things she did not pass from swim lessons during the summer and did them well, she could move up with Carter. He was so cute and would very nicely teach her when they practiced in their pool. This summer they will be taking the same level.

When Carter is sick, he is always so happy. He loves to laugh and has a great sense of humor. Sometimes he gets super giggly...like during scripture study, or family prayer...and has difficulty calming down, typical boy, right, so we have to work hard at times to be patient with him then!

Carter is just so sweet, kind, and very thoughtful. He writes notes to us and leaves them on our pillows, loves to play with anyone and it was so cute this past summer when he decided to invite all the neighborhood kids over for a swim party. He likes to make notes for his friends too, and deliver them to their homes, and really is willing to help with just about anything and has no problems sharing. (there are exceptions, but what kid doesn't have issues every now and again?)

Carter makes friends easily now, and he plays with boys just as easily as girls. He is doing awesome in school and picks up math concepts without even trying. (takes after his dad there) He picked up reading probably faster than Anna did, which is hard for us to imagine since Anna is now reading at a fifth grade level. For Carter's weekly homework, he has to practice reading a short story in one minute, and we mark how many words per minute he reads each time. His improvement from the beginning of the year until now has been great! At the end of April, the first graders should be reading 52 wpm, and Carter is up to 91. We are thrilled, just because we've really tried to put a lot of emphasis on reading, knowing it is so important and vital to their success in school!

Carter loves his sisters, and plays really quite well with Kya, probably because she doesn't mind being a super hero or power ranger! They do have their fights, more so recently than ever before, but they get along as much as a parent could expect. Carter adores Brennen too, and he is very kind, patient, and helpful with younger kids.

 

Carter really loves being outdoors in the spring and summer, hiking, rock climbing and riding his bike. He loves camping and cannot wait to be eight so he can start scouts and make a derby car. He always asks me questions about everything, why is this that color, why are these particular words on that sign, and he loves to watch YouTube videos about how things are made. I know that anything he puts his mind to learn and master, he will accomplish and we are so happy he is a part of our family.  I know he will grow up to be just as awesome as his dad and be a great person!