Wren Himself

Wren is now six and a quarter.  He is tall and skinny, about average height for his age but only 30th percentile for weight.  He has lanky blonde hair and protects his fringe (bangs) when I plan a haircut because he needs his "look" for a bad guy.  I once cut his fringe short and he cried inconsolably because I had taken his pirate look.

Wren has a few interests:
1) Screentime (minecraft or iPad)
2) Drawing or coloring with fine tipped pens
3) Playing his imaginary fighting games unseen in the bedroom or on the basketball court
4) Board games.

He cannot stop talking.  He talks ALL the time, to the point that Frost and I are exhausted and don't listen to him.  If you do listen and try and say something, he talks over you.  He is rather rude and imperious.  He wants his own way or he gets MAD and FIERCE.  We are working on this.  We do "redos" when he does the same thing again, more thoughtfully.  That is quite successful.

We have learned that Wren is very reflective.  Whatever tone you speak to him in, is echoed back and amplified.  If you hurry him to leave the house, he shrieks and panics, running around throwing shoes, telling you "THIS IS THE WORST THING IN THE WORLD. I HATE GOING OUT".

One must go out and get him ready by stealth or be ready for a great confrontation.

However, Wren loves to play with this friends and others who are willing to play his games and share his interests.  Today, we did painting and drawing and he very much enjoyed trying something new, being encouraged to avoid his own self-critic "this is a useless drawing.  I am going to throw it away!" had to be turned around into a 'draw on the other side' moment.

The game he enjoyed today is called King of Tokyo.  Its a great game, not too long or complicated but with plenty of drama and challenge.

Tomorrow Wren goes back to school after midwinter break.  He is still coughing at night but seems to be recovering.  I am STILL Wheezing after our awful flu-cough thing three weeks ago (Wren got sick on the 31st January and I was stricken on the 1st Feb).

It is still cold and dark but at least there is some light in the sky when we rise at 6.30am on a school morning and today we saw the sun as we walked around Greenlake with Beezle (tongue lolling).

I am looking forward to cycling to school again in better weather and generally being less of a hibernating family.  Frost suggested "we should go for a short hike on the weekend, for Beezle" and we agreed.

The boys invented a new way to each a stack of small pancakes.
You layer nutella between them, coat the entire exterior of the stack
with cream and decorate with strawberries.
I think Wren managed to fit syrup on somewhere.

Wren thought he was too scared to ride the carousel because
"The horses go up and down" but he rode on the chariot behind one.
With me.

The boys ride the carousel at the zoo, "gundam style"

Wren with the tree shrine at Greenlake.
People lay flowers to honor a tree that was cut down.