Dear Harrison,
Today you turn six years old. And there has not been one dull moment since you entered this world – early.
I love and adore you. You already exhibit a fierce passion and strong personality; but you are kind-hearted and sensitive, too. You see beauty in the world and you never hesitate to let people know about the beauty you see in them. You love little babies and always want to make them smile and laugh. You pray for your friends, but you also pray for their parents and I love that about you.
I look forward to what your sixth year will bring. As you went to bed last night, there was a peace in my heart. Like coming out of the five-year-old storm. Last year had so much change and I know it was challenging for you sometimes… It was challenging for me sometimes. I know you miss the big blue house with the “blue flower wallpaper” in your room and the church bells chiming in the afternoon; but I hope that when you are older, you will look back cherish this chapter in our lives.
What does the beginning of six look like? Walking to and from school as a family. Playing with Legos all. day. long. Learning to read and write. Listening to music like John Williams, Mandy Patinkin, Abba (Mama Mia), Laurie Berkner, Disney Soundtracks and the audio tracks of Adventures in Odyssey. You look forward to Saturday Morning Cartoon time watching “the bible channel” and '”Disney Jr.” with your favorite shows; “Agent Oso” and “Jake and the Neverland Pirates” as well as Kubo with “Jane & the Dragon” and “Babar”.
You love your Kindergarten teacher and wrote her notes while we visited Grandma & Grandpa in St. Louis. You love listening to us read books to you and you narrated your own story to your cousin. I only hope that I can continue to nurture in you a love of reading and learning, art and music and keep your creative instincts awake and alive as you grow.
Today you turn six-years-old. And there has never been a dull moment.
I love you.
It’s hard being five-years-old. You have to be right about everything. Every. Thing.
You have to practice reading, you can’t watch TV all day, you have to write your name on 20+ valentine cards, you have to stop at the store with you parents, you can’t go to the McDonalds playground that you spied while in the car, you neck hurts, your head hurts, you’re thirsty – right now!
…and that’s just Sunday morning.
Then after some cuddling and all the whining and pouting and gnashing-of-teeth, it all went quiet.
and that’s where I found him - fast asleep.
Don’t you love those days where you can just dig in and take a nap?
I know I do.
"but let's hope he doesn't stick his tongue to a frozen metal flag pole when we visit the Midwest this winter."What was I thinking to even utter the idea anywhere?
One of our dear friends had a very important birthday this year, one of those ending-in-a-zero birthdays – always an occasion for a BIG birthday bash. So that’s what he did. It was hosted at his friend’s home in the Hollywood Hills. Sadly, I wasn’t able to attend the event since I was already in Huntington Beach attending a photography workshop.
But the G.I.D. took Harrison and Big Brother to the party. On the way there he told Harrison they were going to a party in a REAL castle. Harrison wasn’t buying it… until they pulled up to the house.
Shortly after arriving Harrison was ready for something to drink, being out of practice in the art of “just-in-case” snack preparedness for children, Dad had left the canteen behind. He couldn’t find a single beverage that was mom-worthy (not even bottled waters). So as he handed a plastic cup, filled with what he deemed the least unhealthy drink, to Harrison he muttered “Your mom is going to kill me.”
Harrison took one sip of the clear liquid in the cup and an expression of utter shock, bewilderment and excitement washed over his face all at once.
“ WHOA!! WHAT?… IS?… THIS!??”
Just like that, he guzzled down his first-ever 7-Up and immediately held out his cup for more. It’s hard to say just how many more he had that evening; but he seemed to handle the sugar rush fairly well.
Later in the evening, Harrison was apparently being followed about by a smaller boy who became quite taken with him; unfortunately he quickly became annoyed by the younger, much louder boy. Being five years old, Harrison’s way of dealing with the boy was, well… uniquely, creatively… Harrison.
He finally stopped, looked seriously at the boy and waved his hand from left to right saying, “This is not the castle you are looking for… Move along…”
The little boy just stared blankly at Harrison. Speechless.
(Apparently, his dad hasn’t versed him in the finer points of Star Wars yet.)
