Sixer

Five has been an interesting age. Owen is reflective and insightful, doling out compliments and words of wisdom, such as, "Your hair looks pretty, Mom." and "Nora! You don't eat food on the floor!" Then a moment later, he'll bursts into tears because Nora laughed too loudly at his joke or we thought he looked more like an Orioles player in his grey and orange plaid pajamas rather than a Nationals player in their visiting uniform.

But as much of a roller coaster as it's been, five has also been a pretty amazing year: watching Owen go from sounding out words to reading with confidence; seeing our shy little guy navigate social settings like a pro; watching our t-baller learn how to hit his dad's overhand fastball; and seeing his super hero obsessions graduate from Superman to X-Men.

And now he's turning six and starting first grade in a week. And while I find myself at times missing the baby he was, I'm extremely proud of the little man he's becoming. Happy Birthday, Owen.

1. School assemblies include a lot more musical numbers in a post-Glee world.
2. Video games can be extremely instructive and obsessive play can result in you correctly identifying & placing all 54 countries on a map of Africa (compared to your mother's six).
3. When you limit your favorite song to one which is played in a ballpark, you're going to make some interesting choices.
4. Always be prepared -- even if you're unconscious.
5. The Star Spangled Banner is a perfectly fine road-trip song -- if you want to drive your mother insane.
6. It's a lot easier to get out of bed when there's a condensed Nationals' game to watch.
7. Always wear pants (even if it's 104 degrees) -- you never know when you might need to slide.
8. The desserts don't always justify the meals.
9. "I forgot" is a legitimate (if not always successful) excuse.
10. I am Superman. I am also at various times Spiderman, Wolverine, Stephen Strasburg and Ian Desmond.