Dearest Scorch-

Happy, happy birthday my sweet boy! You’re 6- an age I can barely wrap my head around. 5 still seems like a little kid to me- a child closer to baby then big kid. But 6? 6 seems so old, so huge. 6 means you can read, you can almost tie your shoes (more our fault then yours that you haven’t figured it out yet), that you can swim by yourself and that you’ll soon be learning to ride your bike without training wheels. You play Little League now – and you have a to wear a cup. Babies don’t need to wear a cup- therefore, you’re not a baby any more. That is a fact you love to remind me of even as you’re still asking to sit in my lap (a request I don’t turn down, ever).

You are one of my favorite people on earth. You’re funny and sweet and friendly and oh-so-very talkative. The biggest problem you’ve had in school this year has been your lack of focus because you’re too darn busy talking. You come by that trait honestly, Bud. 😉 You are a good friend and a sweet soul- always quick to laugh and smile.  Your bad moods and anger pass by quickly and once you’re over it, you’re over it. You don’t hold on to grudges or slights, which is one of your very best traits.

5 has been such a crazy mixed bag for you. Thankfully the good has way outweighed the bad. You *love* kindergarten and you have made some amazing new friends. You’ve learned to read- READ!!- and I can’t even tell you how much I love watching you curl up with a good book. You’ve learned to compromise and take turns and that losing doesn’t mean the world is ending. You learned how to play- and love- football (something that thrills your father!). We’ve also had to deal with your anxieties and fears and it hasn’t been easy for you. But you’re doing it. You square your not-so-little shoulders, take a deep breath and face your fears- whether they are in the shape of a hairless cat or going to school in the morning.

This morning you were way nervous about going to school because during morning prayers the whole school was going to sing you Happy Birthday. I could see you wringing your hands and getting more quiet as the time to leave drew closer. But you didn’t cry and you didn’t fuss- you just put one foot forward and kept going. I held my breath the whole way to school wondering if you were going to melt down, but you didn’t.  And the look on your face when we got to school and you got your crown? It’s worth every single sleepless night and worry we’ve all had.

Dad and I dreamed about having kids long before you came into out life. We talked about what we wanted our future kids to be like- how they’d look and act. Which personality quirks you’d get from each parent- would you be laid back like me or stubborn like your father? A born reader or one who’d pick a book on tape any day. A competitive athlete or the kid on the bus more excited for the dinners out after the game then anything else? Some of the question still remain unanswered, but all we do know is that you’ve exceeded all our wildest dreams. We are the luckiest parents in the world simply because we have the privilege of loving you.

I love you little boy- with my whole heart! Here’s hoping year 6 is just as magical as the past 5 have been!

All my love,
Mommy