OK, OK, TECHNICALLY his birthday isn’t until next week, but since his celebration is tomorrow I thought I’d post this today…

Happy Birthday to My Not so Little Anymore Boy,

Wow, Five whole years! I love you like crazy. That’s going to be true every year, so I’ll probably say it every year.

This has been a year of tremendous growth for you. You started school with preschool three days a week this year, and it has been amazing to watch you learn and grow. Together we have worked through struggles and triumphs as you learned so many new things. You are known in class for your infectious enthusiasm and joy- qualities that we have always loved about you. You deeply want to make people laugh and to ask them questions and get to know them more. You have become more independent and inquisitive. You have learned how to adjust to a new routine and are always so excited to talk about what you are working on and what you want to read more about. This year brought the beginning of some harder, deeper questions that I don’t always know how to answer. Questions about life and death and faith. It also brought some funny and delightful questions/statements (ie “Jesus lives in my heart, but he doesn’t try to eat it…”) You have shown me how much you listen, even when I think you don’t.

You are so sweet. You were tied with daddy for my biggest cheerleader for the race I did this year. You always want to call or video message people and see how they are doing or ask them questions. You remain my extrovert and love people deeply.

You are most excited about turning five because it means you will be in kindergarten and will get to go to school five days a week instead of three. I try to embrace your enthusiasm and calm my worries and how much I will miss you. You (and your sister) are still teaching me how to be brave and bold and strong.

This is from Easter, when you asked me to crack a confetti filled egg on your head. You always know how to make people giggle!

For your birthday this year, you have asked for cake, time with friends, and for two more brothers and another sister (sorry you won’t get that sibling wish buddy… that’s a tall order…). You are obsessed with family. You love teaching your sister new things and trying to help her and you are the best playmates. You are looking forward to moving into a bunk bed and getting top bunk. You were the best in your class at making pancakes, a skill they didn’t know you had been working on almost every weekend for the past year. You love crafts and yoga and running around and can’t wait for the day you are big enough to use the gym equipment like mommy or pull weeds with daddy. You are becoming a little man, but you aren’t so little anymore. We can’t seem to keep you in one size of shoe and you need a haircut more often than anyone else in the family. You are growing, growing, growing, and I wish I could slow it down, but at the same time it is such a privilege to witness it all.

I can’t wait to see what year five brings. Half a decade with you and I can hardly remember what life was life those decades before. I love you so so much.