I’m honestly having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that Chase is no longer a baby… or a toddler… or even a little kid. He’s just a kid now and the past six years have passed at warp speed. My 5 pound 10 ounce teeny newborn is a six-year-old who will be off to kindergarten this fall. What!?
Chase has made our lives better in every single way. He talks a mile a minute, has an imagination that blows my mind, asks a million questions every day and never stops moving. I’m so proud of Chase for a myriad of reasons, with his sensitivity and kindness toward others topping my list. He’s thoughtful and aware of the way others are feeling and quick to check on anyone who might be hurt or sad. He loves his friends and is a social guy, always requesting playdates and chatting up any new kid he might meet at the park.
We spend a ton of time outside every day and that’s because that is where creatures can be found! “Creature Man” Chase is still going strong and he loves searching for animals, reading about animals, teaching us about animals and doing any activity that might involve an insect, fish or furry friend of some kind. Fishing, catching and releasing butterflies and chasing after lizards and sand fleas (mole crabs) during our Florida visits are some of his absolute favorite activities.
Chase loves books and reading and will listen to us read books aloud to him for hours. (This is not an exaggeration. He adores books!) He loves a variety of books but chapter books are his top choice and the Dragon Masters series became a fast favorite this year.
Big Brother Chase
As a big brother, Ryan and I feel like we majorly lucked out because Chase is pretty darn amazing. He loves his little brothers fiercely and though brother battles happen in our house every single day, for the most part, brother playtime lasts all day long and is filled with imagination, adventure and lots of physical activity.
Chase and Ryder began sharing a bedroom this past year and the transition went well. Chase loves sleeping on the top bunk and we’ll often hear our two big kids talking, singing and laughing the second we turn off the lights and shut their door.
Chase and Ryder come up with imagination games all day long and many of them center around pretending to be various animals, rescue workers, detectives, construction workers or ninjas. They are very physical together and love running. Soccer and basketball top Chase’s list of favorite sports at the moment.
Rhett is still a baby (he turned 11 months old on Chase’s birthday!) and Chase takes it upon himself to watch out for Rhett and alert me to anything that might be a safety concern — small things he might eat, when he crawls toward the stairs, etc.
He loves holding Rhett, encouraging him as he attempts new skills, riding around on his Plasma Car with Rhett in his lap, “teaching” him how certain toys work and building forts for his baby brother. Rhett often looks to Chase for play and attention and it’s so fun to see their relationship grow.
RANDOM THINGS TO REMEMBER
- Favorite Foods: Mango, apples, bananas, pizza, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Larabars, carrots, burgers, cucumbers, strawberries, ice cream and nectarines
- Favorite Color: Blue
- Favorite Book: Dragon Masters
- Favorite Podcasts: Molly of Denali, What If World, The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian
- Favorite Song: “Thriller” and “Big In Japan”
- Favorite TV Show: Wild Kratts
- Favorite Animal: All of them! “I just love every animal.”
- Favorite Friends: Matthew, Grey, Ayden, Claire, JJ, Lilly and Tommy
- Wake Up Time/Bed Time: Chase typically wakes up around 7 a.m. and goes to bed around 7:30 p.m.
LIKES
- His brothers
- Being outside
- Animals, bugs and sea creatures
- Fishing
- Swimming
- Imagination games
- Forts
- Building things
- Playing with cars, trucks and airplanes P
- Playing with his friends
- Books
- Listening to his favorite podcasts
- Riding his bike
- School
Six-Year-Old Favorites
Outdoor Fun
- Pop-Up Soccer Goals
- Adjustable Basketball Hoop
- Power Wheels Jeep
- Fishing Pole (Great intro to fishing pole that makes casting a breeze.)
- Glider Airplanes
- 16” Bike
- Creature Cage + Bug Nets
- Adventure Kidz Outdoor Exploration Kit
- Archery Set
Indoor Activities
- Picasso Tiles (He plays with these every single day!)
- Guess In 10 Game
- Outfoxed Game
- Terrarium
- Puzzles
- Fort-Building Kit
- Kinetic Sand
- Costumes/Dress-Up
- Window Crayons
- Plasma Car (also awesome for outdoor fun but we use ours exclusively inside)
- KwikStix Solid Paint Pens
- Nerf Guns
- Laser Guns
- LeapFrog Tablet
- LeapFrog RockIt Twist Learning Game
PAST CHASE UPDATES
- 5 Years Old
- 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
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Your post describes Chase perfectly. He is an absolute joy. Happy birthday, Chase! XO Mae
Best Mae ever!! Love you!!
Happy #6, Chase!!!!! Your love for your sweet boy shines through! Y’all are doing such an amazing and inspiring job of raising him <3 Quick question: HOW do you have such a full, active life with your fam and still manage to get him in bed by 7:30pm?!?! Especially in summer I feel like this is such a struggle for us, or maybe all the time because the kids are always wanting to do all the things 🙂
Hi Kit!! If we have later plans or dinner out bedtime will often be delayed a bit (mostly on Fridays or Saturday nights) but, for the most part, for me the key is starting everything earlier than I think… Like beginning bath at 5:15 p.m. some days, etc.! Also, we typically “front load” our days so most of our activities are done by the time Rhett needs his second nap so that keeps us home in the late afternoon which makes transitioning out of “fun” mode into bath/dinner/story time mode a little easier! But please know we’ve had our fair share of late summer nights, too!!
That’s so helpful! Thx for taking the time to respond!!
Happy 6th birthday to Chase. I enjoy always reading your updates on the boys. What a great memory keeper you will always have for them to look back on. One series of books that Chase might really enjoy are the Flat Stanley books. My daughter loved those when she was about Chase’s age. This will be a big year for Chase with starting Kindergarten. He sounds ready.
Happy birthday, Chase! Love following your family’s adventures and seeing your boys grow up. It’s especially fun since my kids are just a bit younger (3.5, 1.5, and one due this fall) so I get a sneak peek in what’s to come. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Julie! I wanted to share another book suggestion for Chase with his love of animals. The “Who Would Win” series is a great one for animal lovers! Most books look at one animal versus another like lion vs. tiger or whale vs. giant squid. All of the books feature drawings rather than real pictures but give true information. I am a teacher and my kids love trying to guess who would win, which is revealed at the end of the book.
hi Julie and Happy Birthday Chase! I started following you right before he was born. It’s been so fun watching him grow up! I love his love for books, no surprise given your passion as well. Something I aspire to pass along to my future family! Have a great day!