Happy Birthday #4!

You are 9 years old today and I can hardly believe it. Just 2 weeks ago (or so) we called you Marshmallow Baby because you were soft and squishy and O! So sweet!

You grew and grew but stayed really sweet and for that, I am grateful. From the time you were about a year old, you liked wearing things on your head, and having 3 older brothers made this a possibility, for they always found something for you to put on your head!

All sorts of things!

You have a thoughtful side to you as well. You like looking at things and pondering the meaning of it all, at least, that’s what it looks like you’re doing. You always have questions after one of your thoughtful moments, sometimes really interesting ones, sometimes just…well…we wonder what goes on in that noggin of yours sometimes.

You still have that sheet you’re wrapped up in. You still sleep with it, it still makes you invincible, invulnerable, and is as warm as a mink blanket.

This is YOU on your very first day of Kindergarten! You were so happy!

And this is YOU on the first day of third grade! You were happy, but too cool for ebullience.

You were the kid we’ve gotten to apply everything we learned from your brothers. We’ve been much more relaxed with your upbringing, and as a result have had a whole lot of FUN with you. You are masterful at talking us into playing a game, or throwing a ball, or ignoring sound nutritional advice and frying anything we can find for supper. You’ve been able to convince me to buy you a watermelon soda instead of juice, then you turn around and hand me “The Children’s Book of Virtues” and ask for a story from it.

You’ve had the benefit of 5 adoring fans, willing to do anything to make you happy, and somehow managed to come out of it all relatively unspoiled! I don’t know how, but you have no great expectations of getting whatever you want, even tho the rest of us are pretty much willing to give it to you, if you ask.

It hasn’t always been an easy ride. There was that whole skin business when you were litte, hunks of you falling off in the bed at night, the ferocious itching and continual crying, but that got fixed up and you don’t even remember it. There was the move to Statesboro, and no friends to play with, but somehow you took it in stride and what do you know, a friend moved in eventually and now you live in each other’s pockets.

Right now, we’re just enjoying the ride. Life will get tough, it always does, and hopefully we’ve given you the tools you need to endure (and even enjoy) the ride. I know so far, we have!