Royce is 5

With a birthday being at the FIRST of a month, RIGHT after Thanksgiving when you don't feel on top of your game ANYWAY.....well, it can really sneak up on ya. So on Thursday of the week of his birthday (on Saturday, Dec. 5th), I remembered his birthday. And it should probably be celebrated.....

I quickly texted some of the moms of his friends and started on an easy piñata shape that we could pull off fast. It works because Legos happen to be his favorite thing anyway.

I also let him paint the whole thing too. He was in heaven!

His black Lego piñata turned out perfect and he was thrilled.

Brooks was actually working that day, which I knew when I planned it, but I WASN'T planning on feeling so awful that day. One of the worst days in a while.....which is where my ULTRA-likes-to-be-in-charge Emerson (aka- "party planner" and "traffic controller") came in REAL handy. Intact, I didn't even ASK him, he just ASSUMES he's in charge I guess.

Here he is running the whole "Run-around-the-house-with-weapons-making-ninja-noises" game. And calling kids out when they aren't following the "rules".....the he kept making up as the game went along.

Everyone at the table for pizza and oranges.

For Royce's presents, he happened to get weapons from all three of his friends. LOTS of them. 

I went to go throw the wrapping paper away.

When I came back in Emerson had all the weapons on the couch spread out and everyone was in a line ready for their turn to pick which weapon they could play with.

The funny thing is, even CAMDEN sat back and listened to Emerson's rules. He even raised his hand to ask EMERSON a question!

Then Royce got his Ninjago/Lego (that did NOT turn out in the shape of a Lego, but he didn't care) ice cream cake.

He had a great party and I have no idea how it was pulled off..... actually, I do..... Emerson.

That night Royce opened up the gifts from us. 

Of course he got his junk box (that never lasts longer then 24 hours)

And a Ninjago Kai's Jet.

I love how I give a lego set and then the boys play sit together forever putting it together. Emerson usually is the Lego-builder.

The finished product. (obviously, they are brothers). I just LOVE their smiles. 

With Royce turning 5 it also means that next year he will start kindergarten! In the Spanish Immersion school the kids go to the upcoming children need to be evaluated before they can be accepted into the program.

Great.

My kid that talks ALL the time but no one can understand him is going to get evaluated and if he DOESN'T get in, then it meant he would be going to another school then the other 3 elementary aged kids next year. That didn't sound fun. 

So we really worked on his ABC's. He had them pretty good.....enough......or at least better then Iris had them for her evaluation (AND SHE GOT IN). He knew his colors. His name and he knew how to count from 1-10 without skipping numbers. He actually can count higher and does well but for SOME reason he would ALWAYS skip 10. He would go from 9 straight to 11. I knew she would have him count to 10, so before he could eat or anything we would make him count and NOT leave out 10.

On the evaluation day I had to take Kellyn and Everly with me. We walked into the room with Royce and the FIRST thing she asked him was "What's your name?"

"Woyce"

"Can you write your name here on the paper?"

*GULP*

AHHH!!!!! He CAN write his name but only after copying me do it or me telling him what letter came next. 

I sat and waited. He wrote a "R". Phew. Next came his "Y". Oh well. Then his "O". Then he stopped.

"Royce, can you write a 'C'?" *shakes his head* *me-mentally-face-palming*

"Yes, you can Royce, it's the same as Camden's name"

He writes a C

"Royce, can you write an E?" *shakes his head no*

"It's like Emerson's name". Then he writes it.

Whatever.

She had 10 yellow cubes and asked him to count them.

*please don't forget 10, please don't forget 10*

He starts counting correctly, gets to 9, hesitates, looks at the lady with his sneaky grin then says "10"

PHEW!

Then she said, "Well what color ARE these cubes?"

He shrugs his shoulders.

"Royce, do you know what color this is?" (point to the yellow cubes)

"No"

WHAAAAAAAT?!?!?! Now that is ONE thing he DOES know is his colors!!!! It's only my favorite color and we are ALWAYS using it!

Then she asked him all the other colors and he knew them. Asked him about the yellow cubes again and he shrugged his shoulders.

She moved on to number-identification. Ummmm, TOTALLY didn't work on that yet with him. She held up a flashcard of the number and asked what it was. Let's just say he got 1 and 3 right. 

It was at this point I texted Brooks and said, "Guess I will be homeschooling Royce next year..."

But he HAD to pass the color thing. She asked him AGAIN what color those darn yellow cubes were. Finally I said, "Royce, you KNOW what color that is."

Then he came over and whispered in my ear, "Lellow"

"Yes, it IS that color, why don't you tell HER that answer?!"

"Because I can't say it right."

"Just go tell her anyway"

He walked over to her, she asked what color the cubes were again and under his breath, without making eye-contact he says, "Lellow".

"Well, thank you Mrs. Smith for bringing him in, we will be in contact with you."

Suuuuuuuuure you will.

"We really do enjoy your other children at this school and see them exceling in all their grades and our challenge courses"

Yes, PLEASE remember that and that there's HOPE for Royce in his genes.

The family got a huge kick out of Royce's evaluation when I told them around the table that night. 

I now play Uno about every morning over and over with him (number recognition when we say them outloud) and we playing matching games with flashcards. Not to mention buying him that singing Leapfrog letter bus for the fridge for Christmas. We may have failed that darn evaluation but the kid will be ready when fall comes.

MUUUUUCH to our suprise, he ended up getting accepted to the Spanish immersion school with his brothers and sisters. 

I just forwarded the letter to Brooks with the words, "Miracles never cease".

He's really looking forward to riding on the "lellow bus"

Heaven help his teacher.