Birthday Pancakes (our family tradition)

Dearest BigBoy,

My heart swells with pride and overflows with love every time I see you. You are a very special little boy. Last week you turned seven. I can hardly believe it. Seven. Every parent says the time goes so quickly and now I say it too. What a wonderful big boy you’ve become.

As a first grader (omg!!!), you are a super student. You now read very well and enjoy reading books. I giggled with delight after I “caught” you reading books in your closet last night when you should have been in bed. Having you read to me is a life’s treasure. You ace your math quizzes and almost always get your bonus spelling words correct. This has me beaming with parental pride. The best part of being your parent is always hearing how kind and polite you are in the classroom and when you go to other people’s homes. Thank you, thank you my little lovely! Hearing those words from other adults are like the angels singing to me.

This year you’ve really matured. You can now hang with the bigger kids on our block without crying or having meltdowns, and I hear that you can hold your own on the playground playing tetherball. While you are still a boy that deeply feels his feelings you keep them in check and let it go when it’s appropriate to do so. I respect your desire and need for “talk to myself time” (your down time) as wish I did that more for myself. I love when you confide in me and we get to talk things out together. I look forward to many more years of helping support you through life’s challenges.

Teaching Mom How to Drive at Autotopia at Disneyland

You have been a valuable teacher to me. Putting things very plainly and often with your kooky sense of humor, you have been a comfort and joy when I really needed it. One of the most favorite things that you say to me when I get stressed because your little brother is freaking out and things just aren’t going my way, you have on numerous occasions rubbed my arm and said, “Mom, I know it’s hard to be a parent. It will be okay.” Sometimes that’s precisely the reset that I need.

This past year you and Daddy have begun Adventure Guides through the YMCA. It is teaching you to be brave and a good young man. While this is excellent father-son bonding time, a friendship with Paolito has also been a wonderful gift of your manly camping weekends.

Brave Buddies at Adventure Guides

You and your buddies, Paolito, Reece, and Adrian, are all about Bey Blades (and you’ve even re-recruited some of the older kids on the block to play again!). You talk endlessly about the performance tips, energy rings and battle characteristics of all of the blades. You save your $2 allowance each week to buy your next favorite battler. I think you are a bit obsessed, but you play with such passion and save your money so well, that it’s delightful to see you scream,”3-2-1 Let It Rip!!!” You are kind and inclusive to your little brother such that it is a joy to see you two play together so well. BabyD admires you so.

The big gift this last Christmas was Wii Skylanders. Though your fixation on Bey Blades has yet to wane, you and your frieds are all about the different virtual characters of Skylander and I’m pretty awesome at Stealth Elf, if I do say so myself. I look forward to seeing your collection grow.

You are fun, playful, joyous and full of goodness. I am so proud to be your Mommy. Keep up the great work. Happy 7th year my BigBoy. Know that you are loved.

Your Mom,

Not Just Another Jen

Each morning BigBoy was scouring the couch for change, picking up any coins that we had discarded on the counter from the night before and encouraging us to match his donations. We gladly gave, encouraged by our son’s altruistic drive for his school’s library. I was proud and wanted to exclaim, “My son loves to read! Yippee! He wants to share his love of reading with everyone!”

As the deadline loomed, Husband and I noticed that BigBoy was particularly gloomy over dinner. BigBoy said, “I have something to ask you and I really don’t want you to say no.”

We looked at each other with raised eyebrows, “Okaaaay.”

“I want $100,” BigBoy said emphatically.

“No,” I said immediately.

The ever-patient and loving Husband then asked, “What for?”

“Well, you know Grammie & Grampie are going to give me money for Christmas. I want to take $50 from their gift, have you match $50 and I take it to school for the library fundraiser,” he explained.

A part of me went, “ahhhh, how sweet” and the other part went, “Hell no.” We explained that the money from Grammie & Grampie is supposed to go to Christmas gifts for him. We applauded his desire to do good, but then painted a bleak picture of three little brother gifts to every one of his under the tree Christmas morning and asked how that would make him feel (because you know that would be an ugly scene… “MooOOOM! He got more presents than me!!!” I can hear it now. God help me.) He said he was still pretty committed to the money, but we asked him to sleep on it and tell us in the morning what he had decided.

Then Husband in his brilliance asked, “What’s most important about bringing the money in?” Because you know I was thinking, if he decides that’s how he wants to spend his money, we really should let him (and will we really match his contribution?).

BigBoy responded, “Alien cake.”

“I’m sorry, WhAt?!?!?”

He explained that the winners get a cake shaped like an alien and a party for their class. So that was really his motivation, not necessarily the do-gooder part!?!?!? My heart momentarily sank, but then I thought, whatever, the philanthropy still counts in my book.

“Now that’s a horse of a different color!” I exclaimed.

Look what we made this weekend. That’s a beautiful cake, isn’t it? Kinda looks like an alien, right? Good enough and it’s tasty. It saved us $50 and a little boy’s Christmas. Now that’s a good box of cake mix.

Cheers!

Because this is a story about giving. I’m including it in the November Word of the Month meme. November’s word is GIVE.

Mikey's Fun Wheel: SURPRISE

Oh my goodness gracious, BigBoy & our friend, Z, had a great time at Disneyland’s California Adventure.

Happy Wordless Wednesday!!!

Please visit some of my bloggy friends and be sure to tell them that I sent you.

Happy Wednesday!

Usually I don’t write on Wordless Wednesday, but I’m so overtaken with this photo that I’m declaring this a (not so) WW.  Last Friday, we were over at Lucky Dame’s house with a bunch of boys in the backyard, adults in the kitchen and all of a sudden I look out back and there’s BigBoy sitting on a rock.  Thankfully, Michelle snapped this picture.  I’ve since talked with him about it.  He told me that it’s important to “quiet the mind” and it makes him a better fighter. “Don’t you know Mom, it’s a part of Jedi Training.” Duh. Oh how I love this kid.

BigBoy, I am thankful that with all the natural childbirth education and planning that your Daddy & I went through, you arrived on your own schedule, but with a very different way of delivery than intended.  It was your first lesson to me as a Mom to roll with the changes fully knowing that in the end it will be okay.

I am thankful that you still want to hold my hand (from time to time) and I realize that it is very fleeting.  Thank you for wanting to wrestle instead.  I will always want to pick you up and spank those cute buns of yours.  However, in ten years that will also be a fading activity.

I am thankful for how much you care for others, so much so that your teacher nominated you for a school award.  You also wrote on your All About Me Poster in kindergarten that you “help others if they are hurt.” I will treasure that poster forever because you wrote the cutest things in your own handwriting.

I am thankful that you finally love a sport.  Soccer last year with Gavin and Coach Greg really made the difference and sealed a friendship that I’m so happy about (because I love that family too! …the Mom is a Jen!)

I am thankful that while you enjoy having lots of friends and people over (you love and ask for HHH), you also recognize that you sometimes need time to yourself.  This last year while hanging out with your BF Gavin, you told him and his sister on the way back from a play date to “hush it for a few minutes…I need some quiet time!” (as told to be my JenLB)

I am thankful that you are very specific about words and numbers.  While sometimes, I find it annoying (“Mom, I waited 60 seconds, you said, wait a minute!”) you have me think very carefully about my words, which I do appreciate.  It’s also very helpful to keep us on time for school, events and bedtime.

I am thankful that you love school and are working so hard at learning to read.  Keep up the great work and I pray that you discover the wonders of books like I have.

I am thankful that you know how to play well with others, even when your feelings are hurt and you don’t lose it in front of the big boys.  You have dignity and do a good job about talking through it later. Last Halloween, you really wanted to go to a school’s haunted house, but BabyD was melting down and I thought the outing would be too scary for you.  You wanted throw a temper tantrum when I said no, but you waited until all the big boys left and then you let it wail.  I loved seeing your composure in that moment.

I am thankful that you always give thanks for my cooking, especially dinners.  Even when it’s not your favorite.  I love that you love Sunday pancakes.  It makes my heart fill with joy that you get so excited about it.

I am thankful for the moments when you look after your brother, work with him (instead of against him) and make him laugh. Nothing warms my heart more than to see you two play well together and care for one another.  In the end, he’ll be the only one to share the memories of your original family so treasure your relationship because it will help keep your memories and our love alive through time.

You are a sweet, eager and beautiful boy.  Your Daddy & I love you so.  Happy 6 years of life, BigBoy.  I am so very thankful for you, my Sunshine.

It’s certainly not an original idea since it’s been around the interweb for years as a common meme (in digging around this one was my favorite), but I think I will try my hand at it and invite you to join along if you wish.  Feel free to comment below or leave your link (maybe I’ll do a McLinky or something of the sort next week).

Today I am particularly thankful for Little Miss M (name changed to protect the innocent, of course).  She is the delightful classmate of BigBoy and the object of his affection.  She is his first crush.  And he’s got it bad.  It just lifts my spirits to hear him talk so tenderly about a girl.

Yesterday for example when I picked him up from school and we were walking back to our van, BigBoy says to me, “I’m sure Little Miss M likes me now.”

“Tell me how you know, sweetness,” I replied.

“Well she smiled at me today.  And I smiled at her and she smiled back again,” he said fondly.

He’s not overly gushy about her.  I follow his lead and keep my inquiries low key.  He only mentions her every once in a while, but when he does, he speaks of her adoringly.

The first time I heard about Little Miss M was during the first week of school.  I was asking him how he is enjoying kindergarten.  Suddenly, he got this goofy look on his face and I asked him, “What is it, darlin?”

He smiled big and said, “I think I like a girl.”

“Well, what is it that you like about her, BigBoy?” I gingerly probed.

“Her hair is long and beautiful. She does it up in these neat little folds [braids], but sometimes it is down with little curls,” he spoke almost in a daze. (I’m not kidding.)

Sure enough, I knew which girl he was speaking about since I had volunteered in the classroom.  She is most certainly pretty, but also (almost painfully) shy.  She barely uttered a word when I was working the stations in class.

Since then, I’ve gotten to know Little Miss M.  She has warmed up in class and she shines even brighter.  She is darling with her little braids and the cutest little girl outfits. I practically squeal to myself when I see her sometimes.  I have even gotten to know her mom, Ms. J, who is equally delightful and thoughtful.  She’s warm and friendly, and brought an ice chest full of juice boxes to the last two HHHs.

While Little Miss M may not fully return BigBoy’s affection (yet), I am thankful to see him quietly over the moon for such a lovely girl.

As a mom of two boys, I pray that this trend continues.  Cheers!

My Christmas Tree Helper Elf

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