This little interview project wouldn't be complete without including little Nolan. I had to tailor some of the questions due to unfamiliar words and concepts. Regardless, I think you will enjoy his responses!
1. What do you like about being a kid?
Getting to play and watch movies and getting put to bed at night.
2. What do you like to do for fun?
Shoot hoops, of course!
3. Tell me about a funny time in your life.
It was funny in that movie when the kids called their grandpa Fartie instead of Artie. (*Note: This is from Parental Guidance.)
4. What do you love most about your sibling?
That she does things for me and helps me sometimes. I love her.
5. What is the nicest thing you've done for someone?
(*Note: He thought a LONG time before answering.) I can't remember, but ask me again tomorrow. I'll try to do something nice today.)
(*Note: Then he suggested I ask about the naughtiest thing he's ever done.) At my old school, one time I ate someone else's corn dog even though I brought my lunch.
6. What do you think makes a person good-looking?
When they look like my mom. (*Note: Awwwwww.)
7. Name two things you like our family to do on the weekend.
Shoot hoops and eat at Whataburger.
8. What is the grossest thing you can think of?
Eating poop. (*Note: The kid has a point.)
9. What do you think your wife will be like?
She'll be like Phoebe because she WILL be Phoebe.
10. How many kids do you want to have when you grow up?
(*Note: He put up all 10 fingers, so I asked him if he really wants 10 children. He corrected me, saying he'll have 10 and then 10 more. Ummmm, okay. Perhaps Phoebe's last name is Duggar.)
11. How old is your mom?
65 (*Note: Ouch!)
12. What does your mom do for work?
She makes dollars to put in the bank so we can buy things. (*Note: A pragmatic answer.)
13. What do you like best about your mom?
That sometimes she stays home and spends time with me.
14. How old is your dad?
69 (*Note: At least we're both in our 60's!)
15. How strong is your Dad?
I think he's stronger than anyone except the Hulk.
16. What does your Dad do for work?
He helps sick people.
17. What do you like best about your Dad?
That he plays with me and gets me popcorn at Target.
Oh, man. I love that kid.
Nolan is doing very well in Pre-K. I hate to use the phrase, "much to our surprise," but frankly that shoe fits! As many parents who have a daughter first would agree, Nolan has not historically displayed the same kind of interest in academics as our firstborn. It's hard not to compare, but his teacher (who adores him, by the way) has been quite complimentary of Nolan's intellect and social skills. This makes me happy and carries me through the frustrating moments when he tells me he "forgot" his ABC's.
That said, Nolan is still a little ornery boy. He's been in trouble a few times at school for play fighting (at least we think they were playing), running in the classroom, and throwing things. Each time we get the news from his teacher, we have a talk about the issue at home. It never fails that Nolan's version of the story will include his role as trying to convince the other boys that what they're doing is wrong. Yeah, right....
As you can tell by some of his answers, Nolan is a little love bug. I'm not kidding when I say that he tells me he loves me 15 times each day. He hugs, he kisses, he pats me on the back, and most days he expresses appreciation for things we do for him. Of course, just like most kids, he will turn on us in a second when and if he doesn't get his way! :-)
We continue to work on a few things, including eating and crying. Relative to eating, he has a new excuse every day for why he can't eat his dinner. Some of his excuses include not being able to chew, his legs hurt, he only liked carrots last week but not this week, it's too spicy (he will inevitably say this about something incredibly un-spicy) and he's still full from lunch. He often stalls by deciding everyone around the table needs a hug or that he needs to go to the bathroom (and then we hear him bouncing the basketball in our bedroom). Now, don't get me wrong, the kid can and does eat certain things but the pool of approved food items is small and most fall within the "junk" category. Jason still feeds him sometimes just to get dinner over with since he's usually sitting at the table long after everyone else is done. I sometimes fear he will go to kindergarten next year and ask his teacher to help him eat his lunch.
Relative to crying, our little Nolan cries about anything and everything. On one hand, he is so happy most of the time and has a smile that can light up a room. But, in a split second he will get incredibly upset about who knows what - his pants not "going the right way", that it's bath time, or that we're "not listening" (which is his favorite thing to say when we are saying no about something). Usually, his crying jags are short-lived, but they definitely get old. Before his 5th birthday, we were on the countdown to "no crying at 5!" but, alas, my efforts to empower my big boy have not yet worked. Hopefully he will grow out of this before the new baby comes. Perhaps we can pass the crying torch?
Finally, Nolan is a superb athlete. Just like his dad, he seems to just "get" any sport he tries. And he's committed to getting better, which is something I'm not sure you see in a lot of kids his age. Right now he's playing soccer and basketball, but wants to play baseball and run track (who knew a 5 year-old could run track?) soon. Particularly with basketball, he wants to practice non-stop. He watches Kevin Durant do layups and then sets a goal of trying to perfect his own shot to be just like Kevin Durant. This is really fun for Jason! I enjoy watching him excel in sports, but it's a bit of a challenge sometimes when he scores 90% of the team's points each game. At first, all the parents cheer and clap, but by point 18 or 20, the cheers and claps have dissipated and you can tell the other parents are over it. :-) Jason reminds me that he's not doing anything wrong by being good....and he passes when he needs to and listens to his coach....but I still feel like some of the parents may secretly hate us. :-)
In closing, we are blessed to have Nolan in our lives and can't wait to see how he uses his talents in the future!
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