Our Carter

Carter has this thing where after stories at bedtime, he likes to have a "talking" time.  We turn off the lights, I lay down in bed with him and he asks me questions or I quiz him on opposites (his choice).  We don't do it every night because, let's face it, by bedtime Mommy is really ready for some peace & quiet and sometimes a nice beer.  But, on the nights when we do have talking time together it never fails to be memorable.   My Facebook friends will recognize some of these...some of the highlights from recent conversations with Carter:

~Tonight Carter had some things he wanted to discuss before bedtime. It went something like this:
"Why do strawberries get their seeds on the outside?" I was honest and told him I had no idea. "How did the doctor cut you open to get me and Davis out of you?"  Just as I had finished explaining the anesthesia and how it allowed me to not feel the surgery he moved on to: "How do batteries make things work?" I told him that would be a better question for Daddy.  :-) And then, "How does apple juice get into the bottle?"  Gotta love how his little mind works.  I have to admit, he makes me think!

~I was explaining to Carter that today is election day and that there will be extra people at his school because it is a polling place. When I told him that we are voting for who will be President, he got a big smile on his face and said "I hope I win!".

~Out of nowhere, Carter asked me: "Where did the Earth come from?"  I told him that God made the Earth and all of us and all the animals and plants.  He replied "Mom, I don't think that one person could make all of this."  So, I took a deep breath and went on to explain how amazing God is and that he is responsible for all of the good things that happen to us and helps us when bad things happen and that's why he is special enough to have made the Earth.  LONG PAUSE from Carter.  Then I went on to say: "Some people, called Scientists, believe that our Earth was created by stars in outer space colliding."  Carter immediately said "Yeah Mom, that sounds more like how it really happened."

~Today in the car (another favorite talking spot) Carter asked me when & why Sean and I got married.  I told him that we got married because we loved each other and we still love each other a lot, even though we've been married for almost seven years.  Carter thought about that for a minute and then said "That's weird."  He's asked me before if he could marry me when he gets older (So sweet, right?) but I've explained to him that since I'm already married to Daddy, he has to find someone else to marry.  Today, he told me that when he gets older he will find a best friend to marry and love forever.  Wow--I couldn't be more proud!  I am doing my best to prepare these boys to be awesome husbands one day.  Not an easy job, people!

Carter's 2012-13 Preschool Picture

Another update: Carter had his five year well check last week and everything went...well.  :-)  He is small, 25% weight and 30% height, but following his own little growth curve just fine.  He meets and exceeds developmental milestones which makes us so very proud.  We are still working on some Sensory Processing issues with him (I like to call them "quirks") but for the most part they are mild.  For example, simple things like haircuts are a big deal for him because he actually feels the itchiness of the cut hairs as painful.  Luckily we don't go for haircuts every day and I can usually coach and/or bribe him through it.

We also had parent/teacher conferences last week with his Preschool teachers.  They had nothing but good things to say about Carter in school and again suggested we look into testing him for the "Early Access" program in our school district.  This was something that was mentioned by his teachers and the school social worker last year, but we opted to just move on with the plan to keep him in Preschool another year and send him to Kindergarten when the district age guidelines dictate.  Well, it is becoming more obvious that he may be ready to move up.  His reading level is making it difficult for his teachers to find activities that keep Carter engaged while still keeping the rest of the classroom occupied with a teacher-led story time.  

Our main concern, and one the school recognizes as well, is that Carter is socially and emotionally very much a Preschooler.  With that being said, we are planning to have him tested this Spring to see if he meets criteria for Early Access.  That does not obligate us to put him into a different school, or skip Kindergarten as one educator mentioned, but it will help Sean & I  to better know what Carter's strengths are and pursue our options.  I have been pretty stressed out by all of this and just want to do what is best for Carter.  So far, he has no idea that he is different from other kids his age & I want to keep it that way.  I know, I am worrying way too much about all of this and should just be happy that people think our kid is gifted.  But, as his mom, I just want him to feel normal and have friends and be happy.  Hopefully, we can figure out a plan that gives Carter all of the above and challenges his mind as well.  He is such a neat kid and we love him so much.