Archive for May, 2016

Dear Noah on your first decade,

Saturday, May 21st, 2016

TEN! Ten is huge! You’re double digits now and you’ve plowed right through every day thus far.

You’re still so strong headed (that’s nice for ‘stubborn’), determined, feisty, sensitive, and full of mischief. You’ve made torturing your sister your full time job. You’ll never admit to it, but you love her like crazy. You always want to know where she is and what she’s doing if you’re apart and you’re finding a way to get her attention anytime she’s near (I feel like I write this every year but I don’t go back to look because these letters are for you, not me). I really hope that someday you’ll stop playing so hard to love with her and just fess up. You two have the best time together when you’re behaving!

You love to read, you’re obsessed with a computer game called Roblox and countless apps, you enjoy riding your bike and rollerblading. You would much prefer to be an indoor kid but since you’re no longer doing gymnastics, it’s important to get you moving. You’re interested in tennis, which I promise to pursue when it cools down. You were such a sport to try soccer, even if you only did it so you could stay with Kate. You were pretty good at it, too, but decided not to continue. You’ve also tried swimming, again pretty good, but it’s hard work (which isn’t your style just yet).

You still love Monkey and sleep with him around your neck every single night. That poor guy is threadbare and tattered but it seems that just means he needs to be loved more. In some ways you’re still a little boy but in others you’re becoming more mature and confident. I hope you leave him behind for me to sleep with every night when you go to college (or move out, or whatever you decide to do which is perfectly fine with me – just promise to aim high).

We’re helping you out of your shell when we’re able, but still trying hard not to push you. You’re starting to open up to your friends’ parents, you’re finally ordering your own meals at restaurants, and you’ve stopped being so guarded in front of family friends. I’m excited about this for you but I also love it because it makes situations where people try to engage you a little less awkward for those of us who have to watch you stare at your shoes in lieu of conversing with them.

You LOVE music. You can name any top 20 pop song within 2 seconds and you know all the words to every song on the radio. You love to sing and watch music videos. You get this from me. Your father can throw off the rhythm of an entire crowd at a concert, but you and I, though tone deaf, have a thing for lyrics. You took a year of piano lessons, which you were proficient in, but you clearly prefer lyrics over notes.

Baby boy, you are my wild. You are constantly growing, surprising me, and making me so proud. I love you more than you’ll ever know. I hope the next ten years are filled with adventure and discovery. I love watching you grow into your own in every way. In the meantime though, I love how you cuddle with me when you’re sleepy and come to me for comfort when you’re sad or hurt – those are moments I will hold onto forever.

All my love, forever and ever,
Mom