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| Happy 6th birthday to our fun-loving, spirited, social, smart, athletic, funny, compassionate (and so much more) not-so-little boy! We love you so much, Bubba! |
Dear Preston James,
You are such a special boy... so full of life, love, passion... you are a joy to be around (and loud!). You are silly and funny like daddy, which I adore and am so grateful for, and you love it, too. Anytime I say that you're funny, you want to know if you are funnier than daddy. I have told you many times that one of my favorite things about daddy is that he makes me laugh all the time and I think you really enjoy knowing that one of his most appealing qualities to me is one you share with him.
You are smart and excited about learning. I hope that you always stay interested and excited. But, like a ton of kids, you really loathe homework! We are working hard on learning to accept your work, after all, this is only kindergarten and you have many, many years of homework ahead of you. It isn't negotiable, so I am trying (really hard) to help you just see it as a routine part of your day. :)
Naturally, parenting you is not the same as parenting Gracie. I have learned a ton being Gracie's mommy, of course, but the lessons are drastically different. I am learning SO much as a mom of (now) six year-old you... and, in turn, learning so much about myself. You are a passionate guy... which means you care deeply and, at the same time, have quite a temper. We work on that constantly. Daddy is calm and way more laid back most of the time. You get your passionate, reactive impulses from me. And, that, I am afraid, is something I don't like - - for you or for me. As I recognize this quality in you, I am learning to deal with myself as well as teach you how to redirect that kind of behavior. Like me, I see you struggling with not being perfect or really great at something the first time you try it. That is so much to take on as a kindergartner... way too much. So, my hope is that I can help you work on that at an earlier age than I did - - it took me way too long to learn not to quit or give up on things because I was afraid of not being great.
You teach me patience - - wink - - because trying to reign you in can be oh-so-challenging. And, yet, at the same time, your general happiness and excitement for life and all your experiences is one of the things I love most about you. You might be verging on bouncing off the walls and not listening, but you are, in that exact same moment, reminding me how much fun it is to be six and that looking at the world through your eyes can be way more interesting than my own view. You are so much fun and don't know a stranger, easily making friends wherever you go.
You, my sweet, special, kind-hearted boy, are the best big brother EVER and the best little brother to Gracie. You are doing such a great job teaching and modeling for Gavin about how to be the other best little brother to Gracie. You adore both of them and I could gush for days over how you treat them and think of them. To put it in terms that you'd understand in your kindergarten world, I will say that the love I see you give Gracie and Gavin "fills my bucket" over and over. I am so proud of you... proud of your heart.
I will close by saying what I so often say to you...
"You know what, Bubba?"
"You love me."
"I DO love you. You know what else?
"I'm special."
"You ARE special. You know what else, Bubba?"
"I'm important."
"Yes, you are so important to me."
I hope you always know those things... without a shadow of a doubt... and that you carry that knowledge with you wherever you go.
Happy birthday, Bubba. I can't wait to see what the next year holds for you... and what you'll teach me.
All my heart,
Mommy
