Matthew is 5!

What can I tell you about this gem of a darling? My mom is right: he's clearly someone we all dote on. He's growing up in a home where everything he does is darling, cute, and so, so loved by all.

Poor kid.

The real world can be a little bit harsher than that. Sorry, Matthew. I can help pay for therapy later...

I love it when my kids decorate their own birthday cakes!

Matthew is Alice's baby kitty and ninja school pupil and all-around-good-buddy. He LOVES her attention.

General Conference can be exhausting.

A photo shoot with Alice.

More photos with Alice. Notice how dirty their feet are? That's from outdoor ninja school.

Big blue eyes.

Excellent with a pair of scissors.

90% of the time, you'll find Matthew in pajamas or a swimsuit. They're just plain comfier than play clothes and he'll change into them the moment he's allowed to.

Matthew's perpetual stuffy nose and various speech quirks make everything he says sound cuter. Even when he's steaming mad at you, ya just want to cuddle him close and kiss that shaggy head.

But don't kiss Matthew these days. He'll peel any kiss off and throw it back in your face. I'm not sure where he picked up this behavior, but it's sticking for now.

He can't stand to be alone. He'll play on his own pretty well, but only if other people are around and making noise.

The other day, I watched him play with his siblings in Erin's backyard, and he seemed taller. Stronger. More capable. Agile. Verbal. He acted like a kindergartner. He's five now, but it's so hard to imagine that because he's still my youngest child, no matter how we cut it. I felt a pang of something emotional as I watched him be the big kid he is. I can't quite decide which emotion it was. It was probably several of them, actually. It was the first time I couldn't deny the pace of his growth. I have wanted him to catch up, catch up, catch up his whole life...somehow, for that breath, I wanted him to pause. I wanted to take in everything that he was right then before anything more could change.

Matthew is apparently a model student. His teachers at school tell me over and over that they want to bottle him up and keep him there forever.

He is patient most of the time. Easy-going often. And pretty easy to get along with. I can see James' influence on him. I can see a little of Alice in him. Alice and Matthew are alike in many, many ways. Like book ends.

He rolls his eyes when asked to write anything...doesn't enjoy that activity in the slightest...but he did manage to sound out how to spell "bam" and "poop" during his birthday dinner. His complete disinterest in writing/recognizing letters makes me wonder if he might have a little dyslexia like his dad and grandpa. I'll keep an eye on that, I think.

A sweet a generous addition to our family, this one. We're so stinkin' glad to have you with us, Matthew! Happy Birthday!