My sweet boy I owe you an apology.

I’m sorry it’s been three months since your birthday and I’m finally sitting down to write you a celebration letter.

I’m sorry you were bumped from being my sweet youngest baby to being a big brother, a new house, and tossed into kindergarten all in one year.

I’m sorry I failed at planning a proper birthday party for you, and I’m so thankful people showed up, and that you had a great time watching Spiderman and eating popcorn with your friends at our house.

I’m sorry the world likes to set preconceived notions about who you are, what things you should like, and how you should act. I’ve learned so much more about you this last year and I’ve fallen even more in love with you.

Actually, you have learned a lot of new things this year. Like how to tie your shoes. Speaking of which you LOVE shoes. Goodness. You’d get a new pair every week if you could. Surprisingly for a six year old you take very good care of them too. You are very particular and like to even like to clean the bottom of them (and check the inside for bugs, which good thing cause one time one crawled out).

Reading is coming along for you. We need to find some books to read together each night because you are finally enjoying storytime. You also have been great at sounding out words. I’m so excited to watch you grow.

You are beginning to learn the concept of saving money. But really you love to spend it. You have been working hard to save for some special toys though. I’m rooting you on.

For years I’ve said “I’m trying to figure you out.” Or said that you’re not very much like me, and like I didn’t quite “get you.” Not in a bad way, just in a way that you are your own little person that I’ve been trying to analyze and understand. This past year I feel like I’ve cracked your code. I’m beginning to understand you so much more, and at your core you are a sensitive, hilarious little boy who loves to play. You also tell me a lot more about what’s going on inside your head, and though you ask a lot of questions, you’ll answer some of mine too. One of my favorites was your answer to if you had three wishes. You said you would wish to be a train conductor, have a t-rex that won’t eat you, and a snake that won’t bite you.

That’s just one of the things I’m loving about you. But here are six more.

Here are six things I absolutely adore about you right now

You’re a Loving Big Brother

You jumped into your role of big brother so beautifully. Your little sister gets the loudest and most excited cheers from you when she hits a new milestone. Whenever she is getting into something she’s not suppose to or running towards the stairs, you’re usually the first one to run after her and make sure she’s ok. You’ve started to pick her up now and then, and you’ve gotten so much better with sharing your toys (you just don’t like when she puts them in her mouth).

You + Snoop = Match Made in Heaven

Snoop has been in our family since before you were born but this past bit you’ve been the one to take the biggest interest in him. You feed him every day, let him in and outside, and you give him what you like to call “his favorite food” aka dog treats. I’ll randomly find you outside trying to get him to race you for a treat. And getting him to give you high fives. (Race being the key word. You LOVE to run, and compete at the YMCA). When I told you he’d eat a grasshopper that snuck into our home at first you were worried about him, saying he wouldn’t like it, but then you laughed and screamed as he chased and ate it.

Your Jokes

First of all, you are one of the most joyful little people I know. You are still a big jokester and seriously I should have been able to peg this from when you were a toddler. All those times you’d run into the street laughing and near give me a heart attack. Or open the front door and run down the driveway… That was the little clown in you that’s been in your from the start. Thankfully you’ve grown out of growling at strangers as if you’re a dinosaur. Though you’re still a goofball you’ve moved on to less dangerous or obnoxious tricks like “made you look” jokes. And trying to hold in a laugh when you’re fibbing about something

Your Movie Reactions

This could possibly be at the top of my list. Super heroes are becoming a new favorite of yours but I’m trying to slow you down a bit, reminding you of how much we love Lightning McQueen and Buzz Lightyear. Whenever we watch a movie together… It could be any movie, but it’s usually a movie you’ve never seen before. You have the best reactions. If you think something is funny you laugh out loud for all of the theater to hear. When we watched Avengers for the first time you screamed and jumped around on the couch as Iron Man fought the bad guys. As you watched The Rescuers Down Under for the first time you screamed and jumped around when the bad guy was about to fall down the waterfall. It’s like you can’t control your emotions, but that’s one of your most beautiful qualities. It’s easy to know how you’re feeling, and you aren’t afraid to share them.

Your Questions

Every day you amaze me with new thoughts and curiosities. You still love to compare size, speed, age, and danger levels of things. And you still ask SO many questions. I should keep track of how many questions you ask me in a day. I think I’ll do that this week. I’d bet it’s around 200. I try to answer as many as I can but sometimes I give up and ask you what you think. That tends to work sometimes but other times you persist. Lately we’ve been able to get you to ask Alexa to answer questions we don’t know, or have no way of knowing. For instance how fast an airplane is, and the second fastest person in the world. You’ve also been known to ask the temperature of lava and who is stronger… Bumble Bee or Octopus Crime.You always ask me if I’m your favorite and I always say yes. You are my favorite little boy in the entire world.

You care about everyone’s feelings

Before I mentioned how you’re a caring big brother, but you’re a loving little brother too. And a loving son, nephew, grandson and friend. You wear your heart on your sleeve and you care about everyone’s feelings. Whenever anyone is feeling bad you ask why and try to help. When your big sister gets in trouble you stand up for her and try to cheer her up (even when she doesn’t do the same for you). Your smile is the most infectious smile in the world. Everyone who meets you and gets to spend some time with you adores you. Your teacher this year was the best we could have asked for. Somehow she understood your little heart and won it over. You were the perfect student. You are still my sweet, cuddly little boy. You aren’t a huge fan of kisses but you’ll allow them from me.

I feel so incredibly lucky to be your mom, and I can’t wait to see the boy you grow to be.

Happy belated 6th birthday my sweet little boy. I love you infinity!

Love,

Mom

Tags: 6 years old, big t, biracial boy, birthday, boy mom, son