Now We Are Six - A.A.
Milne
When I was one I had just
begun
When I was two I was nearly new
When I was three I was hardly me
When I was four I was not much more
When I was five I was just alive
But now I am six, I'm as clever as clever;
So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever.
Dear Luke,
Happy birthday, buddy- Now you are six! How I adore the above poem, as I would love
to keep you six forever and ever! In six
years, you have successfully grown from baby to toddler to preschooler to boy,
and today, we celebrate that sweet milestone and the incredible blessing that
you are to us.
It’s hard for me to
believe that you were still in preschool when you began your sixth year of life
last April. You’ve grown up so much
since then, and you proudly announce that you’ve had “5 kindergarten teachers”
this year! Part of that was due to our
move to North Carolina halfway through the year, and then you had a long term substitute
when your new NC teacher was out on medical leave. I was apprehensive about all of the changes that
you faced this year: beginning “big kid school” (at a HUGE, almost 1,000
student elementary school in SC), enduring a long school day for the first
time, leaving the familiarity of our home and life in Greenville, and starting
all over again. However, with each
transition, you reminded me how adaptable you are: how you embrace and welcome new
experiences, and how enthusiastic you are about life. With each loss of control that I feel when you
grow up faster than I’d like, I am also so grateful that you are happy, confident,
and independent.
You are a strong,
healthy, growing boy. You lost your
first two teeth this year, and you continue to be a willing eater of “healthy
growing” foods. You often ask me what
vitamins and minerals are in each food that you eat, which sends me scrambling
to read nutritional details so that I can accurately relay them to you. You’ve grown 3.5 inches this year, and gained
almost 7 pounds. At your six year checkup,
the doctor pronounced you “perfect!” and that’s just what your adoring mom
thinks, too!
You are an extremely
smart little boy, and your quest for knowledge and facts is unending. You have a steady stream of questions about
absolutely everything, and soak up trivia and information constantly. In one breath, you asked me: “What are arm
pits for?... Do we have leg pits?... Is home base called home base because it
is shaped like a house?...” I am often
left gaping and speechless after these lists of inquiries. We discovered that you were an advanced, early
reader in preschool last spring, but had no idea that you would have memorized
multiplication tables by this age, or know state capitals and presidents. You continue to be fascinated with science and
love to be challenged in school and at home.
My mind is blown by the work that you are doing in your current
kindergarten class. Your teacher recognizes
your gifts and has given you special book reports and spelling words (including
“favorite, transportation, because, and bicycle”). We’ve read all 51 chapter books of the Magic
Tree House series this year, and I can’t believe the historical facts that you
recall from each of these titles.
You continue to be “all
boy” and still love vehicles. Recently,
we walked into a toy store, and you gravitated toward the train and truck
table. You played happily for a long
time, and as I glanced at you surrounded by tall shelves of vehicles, you
briefly seemed much younger than your six years. So I closed my eyes, froze time for an
instant, and preserved this precious, fleeting moment:
Your favorite car is a
Mustang. When you see one on the road,
you shout out, “MUSTANG!”, and now Daddy and I catch ourselves doing this, even
when we are in the car by ourselves. You
also like to tell jokes, and have a quick wit and great sense of humor. This year, you developed a love of Legos, and
in a few short months, transformed from requiring assistance constructing these
sets to being able to build them completely independently:
You love Transformers, too, and we are seeing a shift from little boy toys to big kid pastimes. Sports teams, rankings, and scores became very interesting to you this year, which makes Daddy look forward to the many games that you will watch and attend together in the future. We all still call you "Bubbie", the nickname that Leah gave you when she was learning to talk, and was her version of "Bubba/brother".
I can’t believe that I am
actually writing this, but you are the best sleeper I know. You fall asleep within 5 minutes of me
tucking you in at night, and will sleep for almost 12 hours. All of those years of early bedtimes and wake-ups
paid off this past year, as you have to be ready for kindergarten and out the
door by 7:10 a.m.! You are a high energy
kid, whose brain and body are “on” all day.
This year, you took swimming lessons for the first time, and are now an
independent swimmer. You played on your
first soccer team, and it’s the perfect sport for our active little man. You
also continued with your second year of t-ball, and we can see such a
difference in your skill level this spring.
I love being the mother
of a little boy, and am so fortunate to still have you at an arm’s reach. You still want to hug
me, snuggle with Mama first thing every morning, and allow me to be the last one to kiss you goodnight. You know that
your Daddy and I love you deeply, and it is our great joy to be on this journey with you. You entertain us, amaze us, and teach us every day. Now you are six, and although this age won't last forever, you will always be handsome, heart melting, sweet
boy, whom I adore and cherish, on your birthday and always.
Love, Mommy
