Smiling Mom

Dear BC,

Today you turned four. My baby. Four. When did that happen?

When I think back on how much you’ve grown up this year, I’m simply blown away.

We were camping on your third birthday last year with our dear friends. This was our first major camping trip as a family. You loved every bit of it. Soon after the trip, we drove down to Indian Wells to attend Grandpa’s conference. This was your first experience in a hotel. You were especially excited that Nonnie let you eat Fruit Loops out of a wine glass. Now that’s living it up!

You began preschool in September, and took to it like a fish to water. I always knew that school would be a happy place for you! Daddy and I attended your winter and spring performances. You were center stage each time. And after every song, you’d give Daddy a thumbs up, because you just knew how proud he was of you. Man, I loved that! We also met with your teachers for two conferences this year. In each conference your teachers told us what a leader you were. You were always willing to lend a hand to a teammate in need, set an excellent example, and do the right thing, all the time!

My heart beams with pride.

In December you learned how to read simple words as we drove down to San Diego. Six months later, you can pretty much sound out most words you come across. I knew you ‘got it’ around March when we were eating dinner at Bucca de Beppo and you asked me what (phonetically) “Las-a-gn-a” meant. Lasagna? Seriously? Today you can read simple books such as Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss… although you’d really rather be playing than reading. Which I honor. You are only four, for goodness sakes!

Santa brought you a bike this year for Christmas. We knew that you’d be riding like a champ within a few months. And true to your form, you began riding your two wheeler without training wheels around April. Now you are an expert. You can ride on dirt, over grass, up and down sidewalks, around sharp curves… anywhere and everywhere. You love riding your bike more than just about anything else.

This year you matured so much. You’ve begun to calm down. You, not often, play independently pushing cars around, drawing pictures, writing words, and generally doing things more by yourself. You also have learned the art of keeping quite… more often. Let’s be honest. You are in NO WAY an independent child. You’d prefer to talk my ear off, and play with me 100% of the time. But you CAN be independent every now and again. Phew! What a relief for your Daddy and me!

You often walk around the house spelling words, “M-o-m-m-y-e please help me!!” “I want to go to the g-y-m!!!” “I want some j-u-s, please!!”

You are your daddy’s apprentice. Anything he needs you to do, you do, immediately. This is so cool!

I’d have to say that your best attributes center around your desire to make people feel comfortable. You still always greet and compliment adults and children alike. You tell them they look beautiful, they were nice, etc. It is so cool! And oh so mature!

But the thing that makes me beam with pride is your deep desire to help in a crisis. There have been a few times this year where your sister’s been hurt badly, and we needed your help. Faster than we could blink, you’d already gotten her blanket, ice, and anything else you could think of that would comfort her. You’d then stand at attention awaiting any directions from Daddy or me. How cool is that? Let’s be honest, you totally get this amazing heroesque attribute from Daddy and sooo not from me!!

You are one awesome kid. My eyes well as I try to grasp the person you are becoming. Your greatness overwhelms me. You have potential to be anything and everything your heart could dream up.

Happy Birthday, kid. I love you.

Love,
Mommy

P.S. Thanks for taking an extra long nap today! And thank you even more for STILL taking naps at the age of four… Dang, how’d I get so lucky?

Today was BC’s fourth birthday. Isn’t it amazing how days feel like years, but years fly by like days?

Tomorrow I’ll have a letter to BC posted, but for today, I’ll leave you with a few pictures from BC’s birthday party yesterday.

This is BC just before he blew out his candles on his homemade Spiderman Cake. (Details to come!)

BC eagerly anticipated this birthday for many months. And this was the moment.

During the pinata, our family uses an atypical “bat” aka baton, and shouts, “Get on the ground… stop resisting!” Ya… maybe that story is better left off my blog. Notice the jumper house in the background! It had a 10 foot Spiderman hanging off the top! AWESOME!

Even my little darling eClaire got a few nice shots! Right in the jugular… poor Spiderman!

My one year Blogging Anniversary just passed. Um hello, where was I??

Oh and today is my birthday.

Yeay me!

Last year I was all , “oh look at me, I’m going to celebrate the big 3-0. Why fight it…I’m going to grow old gracefully…yada yada yada.”

That was then. This is now. Last year I turned thirty.

Thirty was a doable number.

Thirty.

Just thirty

Like, I’m not old yet thirty.

Thirty.

Now I’m not thirty.

Oh no. Not thirty anymore.

I’m not just out of my twenties thirty

I’m in my thirties.

On my way to thirty five thirty.

Oy.

Where does time go?

Anyway…

Last year I gave myself a gift.

The gift of attention. I took time to learn who I was, be who I am, and stand tall for things I believe in.

I’m proud to say that I think I’ve done just that.

This year, as I enter my thirty one-dom I’m more settled, confident, and able to say what I mean and need.

Oh ya!!

So in keeping with this theme of growth, I’ve decided to focus on another aspect of my life.

Giving attention to others.

Like real attention.

Not laptop on lap, remote control in hand, phone on ear, “Yes dear, I’m listening…” type attention.

Disclaimer** I NEVER do that that, I’m just sayin’….

Ahem.

But rather eye-contact, TV paused off, laptop closed type attention.

Like get on the floor and play with my kids more attention.

Like I hear what you are saying, Honey, and although I don’t agree, I still think your point is valid attention.

Whew. That’s going to be a toughie.

It will take some serious changing of some really bad habits.

But I’m in need of a change.

Bring on the growth.

It’s time.

So happy birthday/blogging anniversary to me.

I hope this gift will serve my family and me well.

Hey! We had eClaire’s birthday party on Saturday!! It was really, really fun! (Photos)

Sooo… let’s talk about me!!

Check out what I did!!

No seriously, I did that!!

Dora! That’s right! Me!

I’m no Casey, who is A.MAZ.ING, but hot damn. I’m pretty proud of my first attempt at being Baker Extraordinaire!

Shh, don’t tell anyone, but it was actually quite easy. I Google searched for a Dora the Explorer cake template and found that NickJr. actually has step by step directions. Oh, I was quite excited.

Martha Stewart here I come!