Happy 7th Birthday to my sweet bonus baby.  Your young life seems to be flashing before my eyes.  In the past few years you have morphed into a brilliantly smart boy with coltishly long thin legs.  Although you are about to be a first grader on occasion you fold those long legs up tight and crawl into your Dad’s or my lap just to rock a minute before you are off to another project. You have become quite the Daddy’s boy this year preferring his company to mine most of the time. I think it is because he works a lot and I never feel bad when you seek out time with him because we have plenty of time together.

You are a voracious reader. You read almost 600 books for your 100 book challenge in school and you are reading way above grade level.  You are reading daily this summer and discovered the joys of blogging, and you happily complete the online summer school curriculum we bought for you and your brother. You are loving this summer because I am keeping you busy. You are a very busy person and you like to have chores, projects, or activities to do constantly.  You amazingly prefer not to watch TV or play video games.

Swimming is still your sport of choice and you are in the middle of your third summer season.  I swear you are the only kid I ever heard of who went to kindergarten after swimming for two summer seasons and one winter season.  You smile as you race down the pool and you always try really hard. You were the only six year old on the varsity team this summer and you are starting to take third place here and there. I

can’t imagine what a swimmer you will be by next summer.  Your swimming makes your Dad and I incredibly proud not because you do well but because no matter what you ALWAYS try your best.   This summer is the last that you and your brother are racing against each other. Regularly it is Ryan in lane five with you in lane three.  I am relishing watching both of you swim against each other but never fight about it.  Both of you are always happy to hear how well the other brother does.

You may not fight about swimming but you and your brother have plenty to fight about.  You hate if you feel anything is unfair.  You tend to be the quintessential little brother wanting to be all over your older brother all the time. Occasionally, you grow inpatient with your brother pushing your buttons, teasing you, or hitting you. You are the owner of the tempers to end all tempers. Be careful if that temper little one.  I see it getting you in trouble if you can’t work on getting a handle on it.

This year the allergist decided to challenge you with one of your allergens, egg, this past spring.  It did not go well and it was hard to see you get so loopy when your blood pressure dropped and the continual vomiting.  When the whole experience was over I asked you if you would do another food challenge and you answered, “yes”.  When asked why, you replied, “for a chance to have less allergens”.  You are incredibly brave for such a young boy.  Although you have allergies to egg, peanut, milk, beef, and pork you never let it slow you down.  Actually, you are so active we have a hard time keeping weight on you and recently started seeing a pediatric sports nutritionist. You eat a ton of food but have a hard time gaining weight with your activity level.  Your Dad and I will support you in being so athletic and will continue to try to feed you all the time, even when you don’t want to eat.

Everyday I am taken by your big green eyes and marvel at my luck to have such a cool, interesting, interested, outgoing kid.  Watching your grow up is an honor I relish everyday of your life. Continue to be the amazing kid that you are and please be safe with food and the rest of the world my young risk taker.  Sometimes the adults in your life know better and are trying to keep you safe. Remember always I love you with every inch of my heart. I hope seven is everything you want it to be and is an amazing year.

Love,

Your Mom