Happy Birthday, Will!

 William T. Buschelman turns 6 today.  Incredible!  He has had one crazy year.  A year ago he couldn't ride a bike, couldn't read, couldn't see, had all of his baby teeth, didn't have a baby brother that smiles every time Will sings to him, and had never heard of Ninjago.

 Will has had an amazing year.  To say the least.  His biggest accomplishment this year is learning to read.  Regularly, one can find him looking at a book and reading it to himself or a sibling.

 Within a month of his 5th birthday, he was sporting some nice spectacles and he ended up being a wonderful example for his sister when it turned out she needed glasses 6 months later.  He was so disciplined about it that for the first few weeks he refused to open his eyes unless he was wearing his glasses.  As odd as it was at first to see him wearing them, now they are part of his signature look.

 Will is also very helpful.  Along with sweeping duties, he empties the dishwasher with no complaint or attempt to get out of it.  He also makes his bed quite well and picks up his toys when requested to do so...something I hope a couple of his siblings will also learn to do.  He has also recently started making his own lunch...Awesome!

 Will started and completed his kindergarten year.  He did an amazing job.  I mainly just gave him a book to work on and he would do page after page after page.  He worked so quickly that he finished his phonics curriculum before Christmas and his Math a few months later.  He's been working on 1st grade material for several months now.  He loves to learn new things and particularly enjoys science experiments.  But, we've known that for a while.

 Although Mario is still dear to him, he has also discovered the world of Ninjago and likes to visit there frequently in his imaginative play. 

 Here is his picture from the Saints' Day Parade at our church.  The glasses were the perfect prop for him to be St. Josemaria Escriva. 

 Will has wonderful problem solving and spatial skills.  He is quite methodical and works on a task until it is completed. 

 Therefore, it was no surprise that he embraced his father's lego collection and worked on it diligently...even during KU basketball games.  He'll come around eventually.

 I also taught him Set and though this was more momentous for me, I'm sure he'll thank me eventually.

The last several months, Will, along with everyone else, has experienced a lot of changes in his life.  Eric was gone for 6 months.  During this time, we did a lot of traveling and Will was always helpful and good spirited.  He made my time as a single parent very easy by growing more and more independent. 

During the World Cup, Will embraced soccer as a sport he loves.  He played last fall, but we could tell his heart wasn't in it.  This is no longer the case and his hard work was rewarded last weekend when he scored two goals for his team.  The first goals he had ever scored. 

Finally, in April, Will became an older brother again.  A role he cherishes.  He sings to John and tells him stories and does his best to calm him down for me.  And he is successful the majority of the time. #winning!

I love watching Will play.  I love hearing his stories and his singing.  I love feeling his little hand in mine as we take a walk around the neighborhood.  I love everything about our son. 

Happy Birthday, Will!  You've made our world better and much more fun!  I cannot even begin to imagine what all you will accomplish in the next 12 months, but I look forward to seeing it happen!