Happy 4th birthday, Jack!

Four years ago today, I became a Mommy.

My life changed in ways I never could have imagined as I got to know this new little person
whom I loved so much that my heart ached.

Watching you grow, watching your kind heart make itself known as you have
learned to communicate better and better has been a joy and a privilege.

You are the most thankful child I have ever met. You began signing "thank you" any time you were given anything before you could even speak, and have not stopped expressing gratitude
whenever you're given anything.

This makes it such a joy to give you gifts and do things for you.

You are generous and giving, and have been bringing me flowers, leaves, anything you find outside that you consider to be beautiful since you could walk,
always saying "For you, Mommy!"

It makes me feel so very special.

I love being silly with you.
I love your smile and your laugh.

You are curious and bright. You love to learn new things and to teach other people what
you have learned. You are such a kind big brother and so good at sharing with
and caring for PJ and Thomas.

You are learning to read and it is so neat to listen to you figure out how to spell words
and to sound them out when you see them written. You are very good at it!

You are growing so quickly, and Daddy and I are so very proud of you.

Today, we celebrated your birthday and you got the Buzz Lightyear you've been
talking about for months.

We went to the mall to see Santa, and you and PJ gave him the collages you made of
toys you might like to have for Christmas.

You got elf hats, and we had cheeseburgers at Burger King with Daddy.

You got froggy boots from Aunt Devon, just like Caillou has.

After dinner, we sang Happy Birthday and had some Buzz Lightyear cake,

which you made sure to share with your new Buzz.

Happy birthday, my sweet Jack!

Thank you for teaching me to be a Mommy
and for loving and forgiving me even if I mess up.

I love you more than you will ever know!

Cruisin'

This little push toy has been inside the torso of the scarecrow sitting on our front porch for the past couple weeks. During that time, nine-month-old Thomas has been pushing his Leapfrog table around the house and cruising along the furniture like an old pro.

I knew that as soon as I brought the walker back in, it would only be a matter of time before I had another little person running around this house. He's already crawling at the speed of light and getting into everything.

Today was his first try with the walker and he took to it like a duck to water. Once the novelty of the spinny things on the front wears off, I'm sure he'll be pushing it all over the place.