Details

Tyler: likes to have his facts straight about things that have happened; prefers to watch documentaries about dinosaurs rather than dinosaur cartoons, was very pleased when I said he was a 'master opener' of packaging; is starting to read with some confidence; and counsels his little sister that in school you need to raise your hand and answer questions. He gets more and more casually competent every day so you might not notice - yesterday's yells for help and attention have given way to him completing requested tasks without fuss, and him then resuming what he had been doing. Independence is the default stance.

Ashley: she is an adept chameleon. She can occupy herself with her own pursuits, setting up tableaux around the house of safari animals co-mingling, dolls conspiring, or various impromptu picnic spreads with a diverse gathering of guests. The stuffies sit nested one into the next, all loved by one bigger. She has the loudest voice and the biggest laugh in the house. She alternates between self-absorbed imaginary play to word-for-word repetition & improvisation with her older brother. She sits close, and when that's not enough, she sits or climbs on. She is visually detail-oriented and hands-on, examining objects closely. She carries a toy handled mirror around, a dentist's tool. It doubles as a tiny magnifying glass. She makes verbal jokes and negotiates verbally. Her favourite expression these days is the cheerful & concessionary "okay then!"

Lucky

Tyler is the kind of kid who sets up glow in the dark dinosaurs on the chair arms and around the ottoman where I'll be sitting, so when I keep him company as he falls asleep, I have some light. He sets it up, charges them with a flashlight so they glow, and then leads me in.

He'll be the kind of guy to win over some lucky gal's heart some day.

Is it too soon to perceive character in a 5 year old? There must be a way to preserve this charm and open-hearted love of newly big kid childhood.