Like every mother ever, I’m going to express my amazement that my first baby is five years old and growing up so darn fast. Time needs to sloooow down because we’re flying through such fun stuff right now. Chase is talkative, inquisitive, compassionate, kind, social, observant, curious and so incredibly active. From the moment he wakes up in the morning to the moment he goes to sleep at night, he’s moving non-stop and chattering up a storm. Life with 5-year-old Chase is anything but boring and always full of adventure and conversation.
Five is just so fun for a myriad of reasons but perhaps my favorite thing about this age for Chase so far is the ability to really talk with him. Sure most of our conversations seem to be about animals, insects, space or make believe stories but it’s fun to have a little buddy by my side all day every day who approaches life with so much enthusiasm and curiosity. (Also, his memory blows my mind!) I find myself answering no less than 5,000 questions a day from our curious boy (thank goodness for Google!) and Love learning along with him as he grows and explores the world.
Chase’s energy and activity level are through the roof and we spend a LOT of time outside which is, without a doubt, his favorite place to be. Give this kid a net and let him hunt for lizards, little fish, tadpoles or butterflies and he’s in absolute heaven! We’ve dubbed him “Creature Man” because his interest in creatures is next level and he loves observing them, catching him, releasing them, feeding them and telling anyone who will listen all about them.
Though always a cautious child, we’ve seen Chase become increasingly comfortable stepping out of the box and trying new things. His swimming absolutely took off this summer and watching him do millions of cannonballs and dive down to the bottom of the pool 5+ feet deep to retrieve diving rings still blows my mind, considering the fact that at the beginning of last summer he didn’t even want to go under water. Now swimming is one of his favorite summertime activities and any chance we get, we take him to a pool or out on the lake because he loves swimming and splashing around so much!
Another thing Chase loves? Running! This kid wants to run and race everywhere and will truly run laps around our house just for fun. He adores soccer (especially with Dad!), riding his bike, fishing, flying through the house on his Plasma Car with Ryder on his heels and exploring new places.
As for some of the quieter activities Chase enjoys, he’s all about watching birds at our bird feeder (and shouting out the various kinds he can identify), helping me cook in the kitchen, listening to children’s podcasts during quiet time, playing games (favorites include Candy Land, Hoot Owl Hoot, Guess Who?, and card games — we have this 6 pack and he loves every single one), puzzles, taking pictures and reading books with Mom or Dad. Chase has always been very into stories and will sit down and listen to us read to him forever. (This sometimes feels like the only way we can get him to actually sit down and chill during the day! Phew!!) He loves his Magic Tree House series of chapter books and we read a LOT in our house.
Even as a baby Chase seemed to be a social little guy and that has absolutely continued as he’s grown up a bit. He becomes fast friends with other children and loves his core group of buddies so much. He’s outgoing and social and enjoys playing with any kid who wants to play with him. He also adored preschool (when the pandemic wasn’t in full effect) and seems to genuinely enjoy learning new things.
Big Brother Chase
Every single day I thank God that Chase and Ryder have each other. Their relationship is so wonderful to watch and they are just the best little buddies. Of course they have their daily brother battles that drive me crazy but for the most part, they have a great bond and make each other laugh harder than anyone else and play very well together. They’re physical little dudes and Chase takes his role as big brother seriously and seems to love teaching Ryder new things, showing him how to do certain activities or play various games and getting into mischief with his little sidekick. Ryan and I joke that Ryder may think his name is “Ryder Ryder Ryder Ryder” because Chase is always calling out to his little brother on repeat. But, then again, there’s a LOT of “Dace! Dace!” yelled back all day long as Ryder yells out to Chase, too.
They love having “brother private time” in Ryder’s crib in the morning and after Ryder’s nap. Most mornings, Chase goes in first to greet Ryder and I keep the monitor nearby until pleasant brother time is clearly over. A lot of singing and chattering happens during this time as well as some questionable wrestling but it’s clearly something they both love and enjoy every day.
Ryder loves copying everything Chase does and thankfully Chase is usually pretty patient and seems to enjoy having his brother at his side at all times. While I’ve always been so grateful for their relationship, this gratitude has reached new heights over the past few months during the pandemic when they’ve come to rely on each other so much for entertainment, fun and adventure.
Hearing them sing songs together and watching Ryder mimic the movements to “10 Little Monkeys” that Chase taught him melts my heart. They love cruising around together in Chase’s Power Wheels Jeep and I love listening in on their babble as they talk about everything from spotting wild mushrooms to what kind of cars are the fastest and pause to make sure I see the airplanes and helicopters they’ve scoped out in the sky.
As for how he’s handling the news that he’ll be a big brother to a new baby brother or sister in 6 short weeks, he’s ALL about it! He seems to enjoy talking about the baby, asking questions about the baby, feeling my belly and wondering whether or not the baby is a boy or a girl. He’s thinking this little one is a girl and last time he was spot-on when he adamantly predicted Ryder was going to be a boy so we will see!
Random Things to Remember
- Favorite Foods: Apples, pizza, bananas, Larabars, watermelon, carrots, mac & cheese, ice cream with sprinkles, cake, green beans, Cheerios, burgers
- Favorite Color: Blue
- Favorite Book: Magic Tree House
- Favorite Stuffed Animals: Lizardy, Snowball and Puppy
- Favorite Song: “I’m Still Standing” and “We Will Rock You”
- Favorite Movie: How to Train Your Dragon
- Favorite Animal: Leopard
- Favorite Friends: Claire, JJ, Tommy, Lilly, Lily, James, Matthew, Cooper
- Wake Up Time/Bed Time: Chase typically wakes up around 7 a.m. and goes to bed around 7:30 p.m.
Likes
- Ryder and silly brother fun
- Searching for creatures of all shapes and sizes (especially lizards, bugs, slugs, worms, tadpoles and frogs)
- Swimming
- Fishing
- Playing with any kind of transportation toys (HotWheels, airplanes, cars, trucks, etc.)
- Books
- Running
- Imagination games
- Soccer
- Helping in the kitchen
- Animals (especially ocean animals, bugs and reptiles)
- His cousin, Callie (he’s obsessed with her)
- Playing with his friends
- Riding his bike
- Driving in his PowerWheels Jeep
Dislikes
- Taking a break from playing to sit down to eat
- Doing arts and crafts for extended periods of time
Favorites
Outdoor Fun
- Power Wheels Jeep (A gift from my MIL for his 4th birthday last year that is worth its weight in gold. We’ve taken it 3 miles without any battery issues and love that it has room for Ryder to ride along as well. It has two speeds and he loves this thing so much.)
- Fishing Pole (Great intro to fishing pole that makes casting a breeze.)
- Scooter
- 16” Bike
- Creature Cage + Bug Nets
- Pool Petz Floating Animals
- Kiddie Pool
- Sprinkler Splash Pad
- Adventure Kidz Outdoor Exploration Kit
Indoor Activities
- Magformers
- Kinetic Sand
- Plasma Car (also awesome for outdoor fun but we use ours exclusively inside)
- KwikStix Solid Paint Pens
- Sticker Activity Books
- Kitchen Helper Cooking Stand (for cooking/baking help)
- Water Beads
- Stomp Rockets
- LCD Writing Tablet
- Nerf Guns
- LeapFrog RockIt Twist Learning Game
- Puzzles (this wooden pattern puzzle is a unique find he loves)
Books / Magazines
- Magic Tree House Series (BEST chapter books for little ones! We’re re-reading the whole series yet again!)
- Magic Tree House Merlin Missions Series
- Sam and Dave Dig a Hole
- Frog & Toad Collection
- Pete the Cat Series
- Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus
- The Gruffalo
- Learning Library Books
- Highlights High Five Magazine
- National Geographic Kids Magazine
Shop 5 Year Old Favorites
Past Chase Updates
- 4 Years Old
- 3 Years Old
- 2 1/2 Years Old
- 26 Months
- 20-22 Months
- 17-19 Months
- 13-16 Months
- Twelve Months
- Eleven Months
- Ten Months
- Nine Months
- What I Wish I Knew Before My Baby Was Born
- Eight Months
- Seven Months
- Six Months
- Our First Sleep Training Experience
- Traveling With A Baby For The First Time
- Five Months
- Four Months
- Three Months
- Two Months
- And Then He Smiled
- Three Weeks
- The First 12 Days
- Q&A: All About Birth & Life With A New Baby
- Chase’s Birth Story: Part I, Part II
The post Chase: 5 Year Old Update appeared first on Peanut Butter Fingers.
