Aidan: 5 year letter

Aidan,

My little boy is growing up and it's really hitting me hard. I think this is the first birthday where I really felt that "please stop growing" feeling. While it is a blast getting to know you more and more as you mature and get older, I am a little melancholy that you are now more of a "kid" and not so much a "toddler/preschooler."

I always found myself looking toward the 5 year mark with longing in those first couple years of your somewhat demanding life, but now I wish that I could go back in time and just have a few days with you again as a baby, a 1 year old, a 2, 3, and 4 year old.

Beyond the reminiscing though, I have come to really like you. Not just love you deeply (which is very true), but really like hanging out with you. You are full of life and wonder and watching you learn and develop certain skills is a fascinating process. I love the way your mind works and how quickly you catch on to things I teach you. You have a steel trap memory, so I have to be careful what I tell you because you will always remind me, even days later!

Some of my favorite things to do with you/memories we have been making:

Reading the Bible together in the mornings while we eat our breakfast (you are an enthusiastic listener)
Building Legos
Teaching you to read
Reading to you (especially some of the chapter books we have recently started)
Playing card games or board games
Teaching you to play the piano

Things I don't want to forget about you EVER:

The way you giggle
Your contagious smile (you are constantly smiling)
Your sweet cuddles (only when we read together!)
The way you are always coming up with solutions to problems
The way you help me with small things (like untying my shoes)
How you just "get music" and play things on the piano or play piano songs on the recorder
The way you light up when talking about your current obsession and the way you get very serious in explaining every single detail to me
How you want to be with me every second (even when I find this a little annoying, I know I'll miss it someday)

Aidan, you are my favorite little guy! You make life fun and exciting and I love to learn things with you. Just today we were talking about pottery and stone mills and watched YouTube clips about them. It is so fun to see your fascination with learning and to learn along with you. I am excited what this next year will bring as we start on our homeschooling journey together.

You a still a very routine guy. You like to know what is coming. You don't like change all that much and you want things the same way day in and day out: like eating p.b. and honey sandwiches for lunch, listening to one song on repeat at bedtime, having your legs rubbed a certain way, and watching t.v. in the early morning.

You are starting to show a lot more responsibility at your age. You are doing better with making your bed, getting dressed, brushing your teeth, and doing other little jobs around the house (putting clothes away, emptying silverware from dishwasher, picking up toys).

You are a lover of people and definitely an extrovert. You can play outside all day in the freezing cold as long as you have a friend with you. You never get tired of being with other kids and you are always being friendly (yelling to anyone within earshot). You are very good at including people and your main goal with friends is to have fun.

You are becoming more sensitive to the Lord and I love listening to you regurgitate Biblical knowledge. You love going to church, and you also love reading the Bible. Whenever we read about the things Jesus did during His time on earth you say, "I believe in these miracles." I love hearing your statements of faith in God as you grow and mature in your knowledge of Him. I pray that one day you come to know Him very personally and intimately.

Aidan, my biggest prayer for you is that you would love the Lord with all your heart, be confident in who you were made to be, and live out your full potential. I pray that you will pursue your talents and gifts and that I will help you become the young man you are destined to be.

I love you forever and always,

Mama