Today, you turn 6 years old. It's also picture day at kindergarten. :) You can bet we bought a big ol' package so all of your grandparents could have your first official school photos! It's so strange for me to think about you at kindergarten--starting to have responsibilities! I remember walking down the halls, going to the restroom by myself, for instance, and thinking, "I'm just walking around the school by myself, and I know where I'm going! I'm so grown up!" I can tell you've been pondering things lately. Just this week, you said, "Mom, sometimes I think it's all just a huge, huge dream." You're learning to spell, and your training wheels are off of your bike, although you're still a little scared to ride it for more than a few feet without stopping. You've started to really enjoy organizing your room, and you're still really into superheroes, especially the one you made up--Ocean Iron. You requested Captain Britain on your birthday cake, even though NOBODY knows who he is, except you. You still love girls. The other day, when I was doing your hair, you said, "Today I'm gonna look good for the girls." I think my favorite tidbit of late was when your dad had to take you upstairs for pushing Chuck's buttons at the dinner table. He, being the manager he is, decided to try some of his management techniques on you, asking you to define what you think the progression of steps should be to get you to follow directions. Here's what you came up with:
1. Ask nicely.
2. Final warning. (Chuck calls this step "HEY, do it."
3. 5-minute time out.
4. Spanking. (Dad tried to talk you out of this one, but you insisted.)
5. Harder spanking. (This really cracked me up.)
6. No songs at bedtime. (I'm sure you'll remember this when you grow up, but your dad plays guitar and sings for you every night.)
7. Take all superheroes away for one week. (Dad suggested you stop there, but you insisted on one more step.)
8. More toys away for longer periods of time. (Dad insisted you stop now.)
Jack Fate, you really crack us up, you make us proud, you challenge us, you amuse us, you infuriate us, you question us, you make us question ourselves, you break our hearts, you melt our hearts, and you warm our hearts. And we love everything about life with you, even the hard parts. It doesn't hurt that you have the most beautiful face in the world. We adore you, Jack Fate.
My dear, dear Chuck. I ask you if you know how much I love you, and you put your hands out wide and say, "this much!" But you cannot possibly imagine how much I love you. I'll give you a hint--I love you even more than you love sticks. You light up the lives of everyone else in the house, even your big brother, who watches you with a soft, amused smile when you're being adorable. Your laugh is highly contagious, just like your dad's, but yours comes so easy, through tickles, funny gags, or poop jokes. You must have, at this moment, the cutest vocabulary on the planet, and your mouth makes the most hilarious shapes when you try to pronounce everyday words. I wildly cherish our cuddlefests every morning in my bed, but I know the time is coming when you'll outgrow them. I love your big, dark, shiny eyeballs, and your lush, dark lashes. I love your funny hair, and the way it looks like cotton candy in the mornings after you've slept much of the night on your back. I love the way you look up to your sweet brother. I love everything about you, my darling Charles Atticus. Happy 3rd birthday.
i finally got my kids out and about, so i'd have a great photo for a holiday card. they did such a great job!! we were only there for about 10 minutes, and i even got some great stuff for my walls. :) they're so beautiful.
