jaden turned four a few weeks ago but i’ve been too sick to sit at the computer and share his big day. he had a party at school filled with sweets and treats and a disco dance party! he had so much fun he still talks about it like it was yesterday. we had a low key celebration at home and he went to bed smiling from ear to ear.
my dearest jaden,
how are you already FOUR? didn’t i just bring you home from the hospital? you have grown to be such a brilliant and funny boy. you are so obsessed with the deep sea life that you now want to be a marine biologist when you grow up. a big portion of your day is spent looking up youtube videos of deep sea creatures and taking pictures of them with your camera. you have a thirst for knowledge that i cannot keep up with! i frequently find myself googling answers to your questions.
you are such an excellent reader that your teacher suggested starting you on chapter books. i really hope you will always have this love for reading. sometimes, you read to your sister and it absolutely melts my heart! in school, they say you are a chatterbox and have such a great sense of humor. you are so well-mannered that even strangers take notice of it. i used to worry that you wouldn’t make many friends because of your rigid and linear ways but you’ve opened up to be such a social butterfly!
you are still a vegetarian by choice. when i cook meat you tell me about the awful smell that i made in the house. i constantly worry about getting you the protein, iron, and essential amino acids that you need. my small victories have been hard-boiled eggs, tofu, and vitamins, and thank goodness for them! despite our daily struggles, i’m beyond thankful for you and i’m always so proud. thank you for making me a mommy and teaching me to love unconditionally.
love,
mommy
this may sound cliche but it’s amazing how fast they grow up. those sleepless nights of feeding, diaper changing, and rocking every few hours seemed so exhausting at the time but looking back at it now, i cherish those moments so much. in the blink of an eye, they’ll be rebellious teenagers and then off to college. in the midst of all the crying, neediness, tantrums, and attitudes, i’ve lost my cool more times than i’d like to admit. particularly over these past few months, when i’ve been so under the weather. i plan to change that in 2014. and so, my new year’s resolution is to see outside the moment, be more present, and learn to cherish every moment.
wishing everyone a warm and safe new year. cheers to 2014!