Oh Everette.
Today, I have officially been your mama for SIX years.
And in those six years, I have taken more deep breaths than I ever have before in my life, and I’ve probably raised my voice more than I ever have before in my life.
You.are.a.challenge.
But omigoodness how I love your little limit-pushing self.
You are as sweet as you are salty, and I work really hard to remember that snuggly sweetness when I am overwhelmed in your ARE-YOU-KIDDING-ME moments.
Like, the moment you buried Uncle Clay’s bocce balls at beach (and we never found them). Or the moment you got your head caught in a cannon at a national monument. Or the moment you stuck rolled up pieces of dollar bills in your nostrils and I had to use a snot-sucker to extract them. Or the moment you got your leg wedged between two boards on a mile-high swinging bridge. Or the moment you unlocked and opened the car door while I was driving 70mph down the highway.
But then there are moments where my heart is so overwhelmed by your sweetness. Like on Saturday mornings when you crawl into my bed, on the right side - snuggle up to me just so - and say, “I love you SO much Mommy.” Like the moments when you write me the sweetest notes. Like the moments you pick flowers for me and insist I put them behind my ear.
I see so many emotions in that little heart of yours, and we work daily to help you navigate those feelings, to help you express those feelings, to help you understand those feelings.
You are an emotion-filled boy, and that is going to serve you so well in life. Because I believe in the beauty and power of emotions, and I believe in you.
I love how much you love sweets, just like your mama. Your sweet tooth is unmatched. As is your love of cherry tomatoes. On any given day I can find you with a pocketful of them, popping them in your mouth as you go about the day’s activities.
You take forever to eat… forever to do anything, really. Which is why your sister gave you the name you so greatly despise -- forEVERette.
You love your sleep, you love kindergarten (and are ROCKING it!), you love sports, and you love to wrestle. You and Brooks’ wrestling may eventually send me over the edge, and we’ve recently had to set some new ground rules for our in-home wrestling matches.
You are easily frustrated, shy, and are working daily on looking people in the eye and talking to them in a confident voice.
You are excited that you are learning to read, and you are realizing the magic that comes along with understanding how words turn into sentences, sentences into paragraphs, and paragraphs into stories that allow your imagination to dream new dreams.
You love climbing, jumping, taking risks - You love big monkey hugs, a snuggle in the mornings, and for me to wrap my arm around you during our nightly prayers.
You are one in a million, buddy. You were a failed IVF cycle they told us was hopeless, and then one little egg that ended up teaching me to never lose hope.
Thank you for allowing me to grow and stretch and learn alongside you, as your mama. Thank you for teaching me to be patient and for teaching me just how wonderful it feels to snuggle into a person you love.
I am so lucky I get to walk through this life as your mama, and I think you already know that we are so deeply connected, and have been, since you took your very first breath.
I love you, my SIX-year-old. With all my heart and soul, I love you.
Happy, happy birthday, buddy.
~Mama
