Tickle Me Thobe

Thobe is such a pleasure to be around. He is so quiet, yet so smart. I can't believe all the things that he knows. He is like an absorbent sponge that when you think is just sitting but is actually just absorbing everything around him. I can't believe all he's learning and how smart he is. When he started school, his teacher told me that he was worried that Thobe would have to repeat kindergarten. This upset me; not because I don't want him to repeat (if it's what he needs, then I'm fine with that), but because I was worried that his teacher wouldn't be able to recognize Thobe's potential and felt that his teacher hadn't had time to get to know Thobe. While I'm still a little concerned, I've been so pleased with how well Thobe has done in school, and I think his teacher is starting to recognize what a special boy he has in his class. His fine motor skills aren't quite where they  need to be, but he's made huge strides in his writing since the beginning of school. He's also more confident at home and even a better listener. He loves school!!! Every day when he comes home and I ask him how is day was, he says that it was great! I love how much he loves it. A couple weeks ago he was sick, so he got his class picture and went through his class over and over and over naming every person in his class. It was very, very cute. He also loves writing and coloring. Often writing is the first thing that he wants to do when he gets up and the last thing he wants to do when he goes to bed. Although he's not super proficient at it yet, he loves it so much, and I'm certain that the more he does it, the better he'll become.

Thobe loves playing games. He often walks around the house boxing or running or pretending he's playing some type of sport. He'll often ask me if I want to play a game with him. Almost always, the game is something that he's made up that usually involves numbers. He'll say, "Mom, what's 11 plus 2?" or some other number combination. I'll turn the question back to him, and he usually knows the answers. He really loves math. I'm always so surprised to hear him do math facts. It's pretty amazing. He also loves playing Uno and board games. My favorite is when he wins. He shakes his fists in the year and hips and hollers with all his might. I have to get Thobe winning on video. When I do, I'll post it. We had some new people in the ward on Sunday and invited them over (Michael called them guinea pig friends). They were very amused and surprised by Thobe's excitement for winning. As always, Thobe continues to be a gigantic sports fan. Warren bought tickets for Michael and the boys to go see Toledo play Ohio State. The anticipation of it was almost more than Thobe could take. He couldn't bear to think of his two favorite teams playing each other and would usually cry whenever we'd talk about it. He ended up going to the game dressed as a Toledo fan with a Buckeye shirt underneath. Shortly after the game started and Ohio State had scored their second touchdown, Thobe quickly took off his Rocket attire and cheered for his Buckeyes, so apparently he's not the loyal fan that his Grandpa Monday is.

Thobe also has such a tender heart. He is always telling me that he's sorry if he's done anything remotely wrong. He loves his cousin James, mostly because they are so close to the same age. I told him the other morning that I needed to have him call James to wish him a Happy Birthday because James just turned six. Thobe was standing in front of the mirror, and when I told him that James was now six, he got a very troubled look on his face. Soon, the trouble turned to horror. When I asked him what was wrong, Thobe, in a faint and very distressed little voice, replied, "Mom, will James still be my friend?" As soon as I reassured him that they would still be friends even though James is not five anymore, Thobe got very happy. He's such a sweet little boy. I love him so much!