6 years/72 months/2190 days

(waking up this morning)

Well.  Six is easier than five for the mother somehow.  But Henry, this year has been full of big things!  Probably most importantly, this year you learned to read, really read, all on your own.  I’m very proud of you for that, and pleased that you love to do it.  You love it so much that you spent the morning reading from the new children’s dictionary you got as a gift.

(opening some now, saving some for later)

You did karate this year, once a week.  It’s hard but you are learning to keep focused and listen to Sensei.  Your writing is getting much easier to read and understand – so much so, that now when you have misbehaved or disobeyed, I have you write an apology letter all on your own, doing the best you can with spelling.  (Yes, I’m saving them.)

(donut breakfast in bed)

Sometimes I look at you and I’m shocked at how tall you are.  This morning we measured you and you’ve grown 2 1/2 inches this year.  You are very sweet to your sister, most of the time.  And she has obviously learned a lot from you, seeing as how she slept with a baseball a couple of nights ago.

(yum)

We laugh a lot with you, Henry.  You have a lot of joy.  This year you also started participating in a ministry at church – your job on Sunday mornings is to run the powerpoint slides, and you do a great job.  It combines three of your favorite things – music, reading, and computers.  You say that you want to do it forever.

(measuring is serious business)

You still are interested in space and the shuttle – so we’re pulling you out of school early on Friday to head to the opposite side of the state for the launch.  Kindergarten can spare you for the day. 

(forty-six inches!  also, silly bands.)

You love going to the children’s program at church on Wednesdays.  You’re one of the youngest kids but you have made good friends there and the older ones are very patient with you.  My heart exploded (in a good way) on Sunday when you gave me one of your cards for Mother’s Day that had “I love God” written all over it.

So, yeah.  This birthday doesn’t pack the wallop that your last one did, but I’m happy you’re so excited today.  And I can’t wait to see what you do during the next 365 days.  As the song on your 5th birthday video says, the love I have for you is so alive.

{Five}
{Four}
{Three}
{Two}