Five. FIVE! How can you be five already? Another year has zoomed past me, and here we are again, celebrating the birthday of you and your brother! I keep wondering how we got here so fast … I’m telling you, it seems like only yesterday that I was a big as a house (or maybe a Christmas tree!), waddling around, waiting for you and your brother to arrive. Now, here you are, five years old, and I continue to marvel at the person you are becoming, and the possibilities that lie in your future.
When I think to last year’s birthday letter, I recall being enamored of your mellow personality. And while I think you generally remain a very laid-back little boy, your stubborn streak emerged this year. You get this from me, no doubt, and we often butt heads over silly things. More and more, I’m learning from you, and with you, that I need to let down my stubborn side a little. I’ve learned that it’s okay if you want to wear your Spiderman costume while you play in the front yard. It’s all right if you just need to take your rubber chicken toy with you while we go into the hardware store. And remember when you woke up at 3 a.m. a few weeks ago and decided you wanted to play with some of the new toys you had received at your birthday party? After an hour of trying to put you back to sleep, I decided to let you get it out of your system. I went back to bed, you (and Owen) staged Bakugan battles inside your Star Wars tent down in the basement, and by 6 a.m. you tucked yourself back under your covers and fell soundly asleep.
I’m learning to “pick my battles” when it comes to you, and though I sometimes have a hard time figuring out which battles are important, in the end, I think your stubbornness is one of your best qualities. This became especially clear to me when we were at the playground on a beautiful October day this fall: Owen darted to the top of the monkey bars while you and I looked on below. You tentatively decided to try it, too. You are afraid of heights, another personality trait you definitely inherited from me. Despite that fear, however, you shimmied up the pole to the top of the monkey bars. Then you froze. I offered to help you down, but you refused … you were determined to follow your brother. Your stubbornness helped you cope with your fear, and you crawled across the top of the monkey bars, eight feet off the ground. I know this is only one of many moments when you’ll amaze me, but, Will, I was – am – so proud of you. Who knows what kind of obstacles you’ll conquer with your willful disposition?
And here’s one more personality trait that I can proudly tell you comes from me: you love to draw. And you are good at it, too! You draw wonderful pictures of people, mostly of me, Daddy, Owen and yourself – you have a strong understanding of proportions, and an uncanny ability for realism. (This term gets used a lot in the art world; it means that your drawings closely resemble, if not mimic, real life … although Spongebob Squarepants is not “real,” you drew a picture of him that any person who knows the Spongebob cartoon would recognize.) You have an incredible gift, William, and I hope it brings you as much enjoyment as it has brought me. It will open your eyes to other art forms and cultures, it will help you see your world from so many different perspectives. I look forward to the next year of your life, and to many new drawings on the refrigerator!
Finally, a list of your current favorites:
Favorite song: “Bye, Bye, Bye” by N*Sync
Favorite television shows: Clone Wars, Spongebob Squarepants
Favorite book: you love the silly poems in Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends. In particular, you request “Boa Constrictor.”
Favorite activities: playing Candyland, Legos or your Darth Vader video game
Favorite foods: hot dogs (hold the mustard), vanilla yogurt, pear slices, sweet potatoes
Happy birthday to you, my “eldest” son. May the next year of your life bring you many bike rides, swims in the lake, Cheetos at cocktail hour and beetles in your bug catcher.
Love,
Mommy
1 comment:
Ditto...*weep*
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