no longer counting on one hand

i dont know how it happened, but i am now the mother of a 6 year old. f. is 6! i have to keep telling myself, so that it will eventually sink in.
















f.,
you continue to amaze me with your zest to learn and your energy that knows no bounds. you are on the go from sun up to well past sun down most days. occasionally a late afternoon car trip will knock you out for a nap, but other than that you are all play all day. you have really started to become pretty self sufficient. you now have an opinion about your wardrobe, and i have to remind myself never to say that you look handsome - but you do!! you prefer to look cool! or rad! or awesome! you still have a very active imagination and love to tell stories, play with legos, play video games on the computer, play wii and watch icarly. when did that happen?!

you crack me up at least once a day. i always find myself composing blog posts in my head about the things that come out of your mouth. i promise to get better about that, because my memory isnt nearly as sound as it used to be. this week you started camp. although you were going into it not knowing a single soul, you took to it like a champ. the camp is called a "summer fun center" the first day you told me you thought they should just rename it "summer fu center" because while it was fun, it wasnt quite worthy of the "n" in fun. the second day though it earned the "n" - thank goodness. you are growing up before my very eyes and actually refused to kiss me goodbye this morning at camp. wow, i thought i had until at least 2nd grade for that!

you made some great friends at school this year, and learned to read and write. you also took to math like a super star. you even got pulled out of class once a week for an accelerated math class, which you loved! i guess it doesnt matter that daddy and i had to pull out a calculator to help you with your homework!

while you still have some bouts of anxiety, you surprise me all the time with taking on things that i think might trigger it. you conducted the band earlier this year at a concert in front of a room full of strangers. you still talk about the band as "your band" and were soo proud of yourself. i hope that you always remain the happy little boy that you are today and i can continue to always share in these moments of intense pride that you have in yourself. just know that i am equally proud and feel incredibly blessed to have you in my life, much less be your mother.

you have started what has become probably my favorite habit of all time recently. when i say "i love you f." you reply "i love you more!" even though i know that my heart swells to the point of aching sometimes because i love you soo much and there is no possible way you could love me more than i love you it melts my heart each and every time i hear it. happy 6th birthday f.!

i love you f.,
mommy


editing because i forgot to mention. at dessert time on f.s 6th birthday we offered to sing him "happy birthday", he declined and requested "for he's a golly good fellow!" who is this 80 year old man, trapped inside my child?!