Five

Dear Piglet!

Today you are five years old.  You are currently sitting next to me coloring and singing a made up song in your sweet little voice.  Of course, the song goes "Hello, Roxy, I'm going to kiiiiiiillllll you because I loooooooove you".  You are such a conundrum to me!  Fiercely, fiercely independent, and yet still needing mommy and daddy and the comforts of home so much.  For you, there's


almost no place you'd rather be than hanging at home with a coloring book or play dough, just chilling with mom and dad.

But then, when you do go out and play, you REFUSE to be babied.  It doesn't matter how much bigger the other kids are, come hell or high water, you are going to play right along side of them.

You are so much more affectionate than your brother and will run up to me mid-play just to get a little hug and a kiss and an "I just love you so much, Mommy."

You're still a tiny little girl with a head of wild blonde curls and blue eyes and long lashes.  You are, quite frankly, a beautiful little girl.  You love quesadillas and almond milk and apples that are "NOT CUT UP, MOMMY!!!!"  You are quite the little fashion plate, at least in your own eyes.  You have a very distinct sense of what is "cool" and "not cool" and you don't hesitate to tell me your thoughts on what I pick out for you.  Now, your outfits aren't exactly something you'd see in Baby GAP ads but they are certainly eye catching.

You say things like "my creation is AH-MAZING" and "this is so freakin' cute".  All of this five minutes after singing a song about murdering our cat so....

I still haven't figured out how to discipline you.  All the tactics that worked for your brother just don't work for you.  Take something away?  Sure mom, whatever.  Tell you that you can't play with your friends?  Cool, mom, I'd rather hang out with you anyway.  No TV/Tablet/etc.?  Great!  I was wanting to color a little bit anyway.  It's only by the grace of God that you haven't turned into an absolute nightmare.  Oh wait...Eh, it's fine.  You're so damn cute it doesn't even matter.

Oh Piglet I just love you so much!  I love your round cheeks and little bubble butt and your soft skin and curly hair and your independent/dependent spirit.  I see great things, AMAZING things coming for you and I can't wait to see what 5 brings for you.

Now, if you could just do me a favor and stop growing up so fast!

Seven

Dear Conor,

Tomorrow you will be seven. This year, as in every that has passed, I marvel at how quickly the time flies. I read something when you were a baby saying “the days pass slowly but the years quickly” and that never rings more truly than as I watch you grow from a baby to a boy.

At seven you are tall and lanky and SO full of energy. I’m watching you now and you are moving even when you are still. You’re a constant whirl of energy and movement and you frequently throw your body down on the couch cushions only to pop back up again. You fling your body around the room and onto the floor before you spring back up to dance around some more. I feel like you burn more calories in 10 minutes than I do in an entire day.

Over the last year you’ve honed your love for all things sports and will often pass up the Disney Channel for Sport Center or anything else on ESPN. Football is by far your sport of choice and you played on your first flag football team this past fall. Truthfully, you’re too long and lanky and unsettled on your feet to be a star player but oh my do you love that game. Your third season of baseball is coming up this spring and I’m excited to see the progress you’ve made over the last year. One of the things I love about you playing sports is watching you become so involved with the culture of teamwork and camaraderie; I hope the friendships you’ve developed through sports will last you well into your teenage years.

One of the things I love so very much about you is how easily and quickly you make friends. You’re not a boy who prefers to play alone and so you are always seeking and making friends. I also love your sweet and compassionate spirit. You hate the idea of bullying and you correct your behavior instantly if Dad or I mention that your actions might be that of a bully. You WANT to do what’s right and you WANT to make people happy. This could be both your greatest strength and your greatest weakness.

Can I talk a second about how smart you are? You are so amazingly, brilliantly, wonderfully intelligent. Your brain just gets things. I’m sort of awestruck when I read with you because it’s like all of a sudden you just know all of the words. Like all of the words in the world. When you read words like “chancellor” and “recommended” and “backsplash”, and understand what those words mean (what the hell is a chancellor?) my mind sort of stops because I realize that it won’t too terribly much longer before your knowledge will outstrip mine. You started learning Spanish this year and I was pretty worried about you because you’re taught in all Spanish. I needn’t have worried, of course. You’re a freaking 2nd language master and can read and write in Spanish like you were born doing it. In fact, at your conference this year, your teacher thought that we all spoke Spanish at home because your accent and comprehension are so great. Damn! Being good at sports is good, and being a sweet, kind and compassionate boy is wonderful but that you are so bright – that is my greatest source of pride with you.

I’m just so proud of the little person you’ve become and I’ll be forever grateful to you for giving me the one gift that no one else on earth can claim – you made me a mom and it’s just the best gift ever.

You’re growing up and growing away and I’m excited for you and terrified for you. And really, I’m just terrified for me. I just love you so much and I want to tie you down and watch you soar all at the same time.

As you grow and mature I start to see the man you’ll someday become and I can’t wait! You’re going to be so awesome. But, in the same breath, please stay little. You say to me that you’re going to be my baby forever and you believe that’s true but I know the truth. Someday, you won’t be my baby so today, the day before you turn 7 (SEVEN!!!!!) I’m going to sneak into your bedroom and crawl under the covers with you and snuggle you and remember the best day of my life. The day I met you.

I love you so much, Conor. And, do me a favor? Be my baby forever?

Happy birthday, punky. I love you to the moon and around the stars and under the ocean and right back to your bed.