Happy Birthday Mr. Boy

Dearest Mr. Boy,

On the occasion of your sixth birthday, I sit down to write a note to you and reflect on the last 365 days. Last year, at this time dad and I were uneasy with the future of your education. We both laid in bed at night unable to sleep fearing that we were taking you, our precious beloved son, and screwing up as parents! We knew deep down what we needed to do. We made the decision to stop fighting our intuition and keep you at the school you loved, with the friends you loved, and send you to the deliciously teeny, tiny, Kindergarten. And you know what... best decision ever. You thrived, you conquered, you succeeded. Mr. Boy, learn from us, trust your instincts, you know the things you need to do in your heart. In Kindergarten, you learned to read, do basic math, and other skills. Your teacher was amazing and knew exactly what you needed to succeed. You are strong willed; Oh so head strong! Some might see this as a downfall, she saw this as a huge strength. She let your leadership skills grow and thrive in the classroom. Everyday you looked forward to school, and I pray that will continue. Mr. Boy, education is the key that will unlock endless opportunities. It will provide an important foundation for the rest of your life. During the year we watched you fall prey to clever advertising and you started to notice the things your friends were playing with. Oh, curse those blasted Pokemon cards! However, you also influenced your friends and every single one of your classmates had picked a favorite Superhero. It was like the whole Justice League resided in your classroom.
The year has been bittersweet as we know all those cute "Mr Boy-isms" are going to fade away quickly. We love hearing you say certain phrases. Such as: Wonder Woven (Wonder Woman), Roon (Room), Ping Bong (Ping Pong), and how you refer to tomorrow as yesterday. You still love animals and that has not changed from when you were a baby. You talk all the time about the cat named "Winkle" that you want to have. Lately, you have become interested in Parrots and really want one to talk with. One day in the car you blurted out, "This is so dumb! We don't have any animals that can talk!" It was so out of the blue, however, looking back I can see that those pensive moments before you were obviously mulling over your parrot-less existence. You are a constant thinker.This year you've ventured into extracurricular activities. You did your sports class, karate, and "superstar" class (aka reading tutor). You love to be busy, but you LOVE your downtime. You love to hang out at home and play with your toys. You need this imaginative time and I love to eavesdrop on your creative play. Right now you and your father are crazy obsessed with Star Wars Legos. It's fun to watch you play together. You and I have a special bond over watching some silly reality competition shows. Many of which include people falling off big rubber balls or giant swings. We laugh and laugh about that. Also, we love to watch Ninja Warrior and practice our Karate moves. I love hanging out with you, and it's been a fun year. The other day I tried to play catch with you, and after I tossed you the ball you stared at me shaking your head in shame. "Mom, try holding the ball up by your ear when you throw." I was flabbergasted... where was this small baby who giggled and coo'd at me? Now he was a boy, teaching me to throw a baseball. Your big compassionate heart is something to be commended. You are the first one on the scene when AK gets hurt, handing out hugs and reminding her she will be okay. You want nothing more in life than for everyone to have a good time. You are an eager host to those who come over. You are the life of the party, and it's so fun to watch your friends look up to you. You are trying to run the show around here all the time. It is not uncommon for you to come up and say, "Mom here is the plan, and you need to deal with me." You then will present two options, and the later option is usually, "or I won't go to bed until the sun comes up." or something impossible. The cashier at Target leaned over to me after watching you negotiate and said, "He is going to be a lawyer, you know this right?" Currently, it's lawyer or politician that seems to be the consensus by those who meet you. Again, we can't help but address this strong personality that you have had since you were very young. You were a sweet and easy going baby. As soon as you could communicate, you took charge and never looked back. We love this about you, and it's going to be your strength and it could be your kryptonite if you aren't careful. As your parents we are trying so hard to empower you and try to teach you to be nice, be grateful, be respectful, and be obedient as set out in our family creed. Mr. Boy, we hope and pray that this will be your best year yet. We are so excited for the amazing things that are coming your way. You are this HUGE personality, trapped in this little body, and it is an honor to be your parents.

We love you!

Mom & Dad