Eli #6

Oh my Eli.  This past year has been one of the craziest times.  I feel like I have been holding my breath all year and have just now exhaled!  Juggling therapies, new school schedule and adjustment, learning the ropes of public school, Cora starting preschool, Asher's ear struggles and subsequent surgery for tubes, etc.  It was amazing to watch Eli grow into a big Kindergartner and embrace school with all the passion he's always held for life in general.  He loves school (is sad that it will be ending soon), loves his teacher, and has made tons of new friends (especially Gabe, Henry, Colton, and Brody).  I consider this year a miracle year.  Eli officially graduated ALL speech services at Heartspring (we were driving and squeezing in speech two mornings a week before school and then he was doing one session of speech at school a week).  All of his teachers tell me all the time how smart he is and how much they love him and love having him as a student.  This year has been more than we could have ever hoped for and I am thanking God for his faithfulness and his mercies that are new every morning.  At six Eli:
1.  Loves space shuttle launches.  He knows all the shuttles and loves watching their launches online.  His favorite shirt is his Colombia shuttle shirt.  He has all of his friends playing a "spaceship game" out at recess with him on the playground equipment and likes playing with space toys.  His whole room is decorated with space stickers, shuttle poster, etc.  He was born to fly!
2.  Lives to do model rocket launches.  He likes to take his friends too and the whole family enjoys them, as well.
3.  Likes all things pirates.  He likes playing with pirate ships, hunting for treasure, etc.  He also loves Star Wars and Clone Wars and playing with light sabers.
4.  Favorite restaurant is Jason's Deli or Picasso's Pizza.  Both places have great GF food.
5.  Still loves flying in airplanes and loves traveling.  It doesn't matter where we go, but his favorites are:  the farm, Texas, Lake Tahoe, and Kansas City to Great Wolf Lodge.
6.  Likes riding on the 4-wheeler, kayaking, playing on the playgrounds, going to movies, wrestling on the trampoline with Dad, jumping, running, computer games, star wars games, collecting the eggs, picking strawberries or other goodies out of the garden, sledding, eating snow, and more.
7.  For his birthday at school he had a space theme and gave out space goody bags.
8.  Is reading amazingly and loves it!  He can read paragraphs and has grown so much this year in both reading, writing, fine motor skill etc.
9. Bothered once in a while by his wheat allergy.  He still is a great sport about eating differently than the other kids, but has mentioned more than once this year that he wishes he could eat wheat and hopes he will be able to eat it in Heaven.
10.  Scared of the dark once in a while and sleeps with 5 items:  three stuffed animals and two balls.
11.  Has a great sense of spirituality and always asks great questions and can add to the conversation.  He prays for his friends and is always thinking of his friends when they are sick etc.  He is very caring and loving.
12.  Hard working in school.
13.  Very affectionate lately, especially with Cora and Asher.
14.  Still has sensory issues with smell (don't even try to open a banana near him).
15.  Can still have some not so fun emotional outbursts especially when tired, but with a good routine and structure he does great.
16.  Loves all things nerdy.  He loves math and science, but has made me very proud this year in stretching himself and actually really enjoying art and music, as well.
17. Passionate about life and inspires me in so many ways!