Dearest Jack,
Happy birthday, my darling!
Today you are four years old, and we are all very excited about that.
I woke up early to make banana pancakes with huckleberry syrup. We lit a candle and sang you Happy Birthday, because Daddy doesn’t come home from work until you are already in bed. I will bring cupcakes to school and make you pesto and raisins for dinner. Your party is in two weeks, but you get to open presents from Mama, Daddy, Max and Nana today. You also get to eat a whole vitamin instead of half. That’s a big milestone for you.
What can I say about your fourth trip around the sun?
It was a amazing, like every other part of your life. We went to Spokane. We went camping, which you loved. We went to the beach, the zoo, and the dinosaur exhibit at the Children’s Museum. You saw two operas, a ballet, an African drum show, a Haitian rap, a modern dance performance, puppet shows, a magic show, a Bollywood dance, and you clowned around with Mama Lama and Clifford at the book fair. I can’t count the number of playgrounds you climbed. So many adventures!
But for most of the year you were stuck in the car with me, dropping Max off to preschool and picking him up. It was nice to have time with just you. You also used your nap time to learn how to play independently, which is something you really love to do. You can spend an hour or more just looking at books or arranging your stuffed animals.
You started preschool yourself a few weeks ago and you are flourishing! You were so ready. Whenever Max had homework last year, you did too. You got out your workbook and steadily practiced writing the alphabet on your own. Everyone remarks about how well you can write. You know your phonics too. Your teacher is nice and you have your very own friends now, six other kids in your class.
This is the year that Daddy fell in love with you. He always loved you, but when you hit three, he fell head-over-heels for you. He often grabs you and tickles you, and you eat it up. It’s been a joy to watch you two bond.
Of course, I have always been nuts for you. Being your mom has been the best thing that ever happened to me. You bring out higher parts of my personality I didn’t know existed: wells of patience, sweet tenderness, utter devotion. I have no doubt that you have made me a better person.
Your personality really shines these days. You have two sides. One is quiet, thoughtful, and a tad shy. You are deeply sensitive and clam up when your feelings are hurt. You sometimes request religious lullabies, and I wonder how well you know God.
The other side of you is brightness itself. You command attention and take center stage for your magic shows and storytelling. Oh, your stories! The adventures of Blankie are spectacular! Your understanding of plot development and sophisticated vocabulary dazzle me. Are you a writer too? Or maybe you are too much of a showman to work behind the scenes. Only time will tell….
Your smile, giggle, and butterfly eyelashes enrapture everyone you meet. I sit back and watch them fall, one after another, in love with you, the little boy who stole my heart first. In fact, I believe you are my heart: living, breathing, and walking around this planet.
Certainly, you are the embodiment of my love.
Always yours, love,
Mama
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