To My Birthday Boy

 An Ollie Tale

Where to begin? Ah, yes.  Concerning Ollie...

Ollie's are happy, jolly and love to eat.  You prefer to be held, comfortable and cozy, rather than run off and have adventures.

Thus making you a hobbit of sorts...

Babe, you are SEVEN. Even writing that it feels just so wrong. You’re so old and yet still so little.

We are just starting to come out of quarantine a little and the pandemic is ever changing our world. In big and small ways. Your hair is SO LONG and beautiful and falls in large barrel curl ringlets. You get like so over us always complimenting you on it. Hair flip.

You’ve got one week of school left and you couldn’t be more over first grade. You’re so far beyond grade level it’s a little scary. You just got into hi-cap classes and tested at the top of all the scores. Duh, little genius baby.

I mean, yes sometimes we use our genius powers for evil. You are mad clever, and you know it. But that’s ok. You have a sweet and kind heart coupled with your really powerful brain.

We just left a period of intense learning with Felix. And then you were all, “Hold my Capri sun.” Because now it seems to be your turn. We are learning so much about feelings and frustration and growing up. You’re experiencing Felix grow up and not always wanting to play with you. You are realizing you’re your own person and you have your own interests. You really don’t like it when you don’t get what you want and you find it difficult to use your words.

You’re still decadent as hell. You have a laundry list of all the things you want for your birthday. All the kinds of M&M’s, make your own cupcakes, Popeye’s, bubble machine, new candy you’ve never tried, birthday pie, all the candy you want, staying up late, the list goes on. You’re like an Italian royal during their wedding week.

You still give zero fucks, man.  You tell it how it is. Honest and funny and true and in that tiny adorable voice that gets SO serious if we're talking about Minecraft, Dragon City or Weird, But True.

You especially love to creat your own version of things. Your own characters your own dragons your own worlds. You are constantly creating and I cannot get enough of that imagination.

I love how I can hear you wherever you are just singing a bit of a song to yourself while you do whatever it is you’re doing. Same, babe.

You are one of the most mature people I know. You get so sick of other people and their crap. You love to mute your class when it’s too much. You run away at parties when it’s too loud. You’re a gentle and kind and wise old soul who just sees things other people don’t.

I can't wait to see what adventures we all get into in the years to come. Complete with second breakfast, elevensies and the other four meals when we can get them.

It's been an incredible year, one of the best and most surprising and harder of my life.  I'd do the parts with you all over in a heartbeat, there and back again, for sure.  Thanks for choosing me to be your mom.

All my love,
Your mama

To My Birthday Boy

 To my birthday boy,

Oh sweet boy. What a wonderful, hilarious, joyful, exceedingly blissful year it’s been. What do you think of your life so far? It’s hard to believe that, eight years ago today, I was just going in for one of your last checkups only to find out that you’d be joining us in the world a few short whirlwind hours later. 

It happens every year. IT HAPPENS EVERY YEAR. I just typed "nine" and thought, "No, that's wrong. He can't be 9." But, just like every year, it's true. Maybe even more true this year than previous ones - because I got to be home with you so much this year and got to SEE all the growth and change that happened. Nine. That’s ALMOST A WHOLE HAND, KID.

We’re at Seabrook just before your birthday and it’s been a peaceful place for us this last year. We’ve been in quarantine/lockdown/pandemic world since March 2020. This is your second birthday in quarantine. A lot of what I’m worried you’re missing doesn’t seem to phase you. You’re happy and thriving and excited about as much as you were in the before times.

We’re almost fully vaccinated. Mom and Dad have one shot under their belt and will be immunized at the end of May. We’re celebrating you on your birthday and after with a small party with family. You seem just thrilled at the traditions of dad making your requested meal and birthday breakfast pie.

You have really grown up this year. We never really had the terrible twos or a three-nager  but seven was a tough year. You learned. I learned. We grew. And now we’re on the other side of it. It truly was a phase. Who knew you’d ever grow out of it. But you’re so able to calm yourself, use your voice and avoid a tantrum. I mean, I can’t think of the last time you had an epic meltdown tantrum. Felix, that’s incredible. And so are you.

This year and we as your parents have asked just so much of you. We have high expectations and I gotta tell you, kiddo, you have exceeded them all. You’re thriving in your high-cap class, even remotely. You’re an incredible artist and author. I love when you want to use the iPad and your laptop at night so you can write. UGH, MY HEART.

I love when you wear shorts because you have the knobby knees. You’re so gangly. Like a golden retriever that hasn’t grown into its paws yet.

You are a master bike rider now and love to be outside zooming around every chance you get. Outside was made more wonderful by the arrival of new neighbors with a little girl near your age. Cul du sac times rock!

Your teacher this year (and next) is Mrs. Long and she’s incredible. She pushes you, helps you be more and more independent, challenges and supports you. Even when in-person learning opened back up and you had to switch schedules and re-learn some things, you and she did it with such grace. School is almost over. You’re so close to a summer more normal.

We read and watched the 3rd and 4th Harry Potter. I love how intense of feelings books and movies get you. During the last part of movie 4 your whole body was sweaty. I think it’s because you’re such an empath. All the feels all the time

You love unicorns. And dragons. And dinosaurs. And non-fiction. And strange but true facts. You want to work in a pet store when you grow up. And you talk a lot about when you’ll move out (doing the math to the year) your kids and pets you’ll have and their lives you’ll give them. It all sounds like a sweet gig. You also really, really, really like to be right. Like a lot. A really lot. But you’re more kind about it when you’re wrong these days.

You are loved. You are safe. You are amazing. I am so proud of the human you are and the one you're growing into. You care deeply about people. You want the world to be a fair place. You are inclusive and kind and creative and aware and sensitive. You are going to change the world just by being you.

I cannot wait to see what this next year brings. 

I think you’re a great, cool kid and the best son a mom could ask for. Stay kind, stay curious, stay little, innocent and blind to the worse things in the world forever stay kind, even when the world seems against you, work to change it. Tuck on in next to me and let’s read. You're my most favorite Felix in the whole world. I know I say it each year, but seriously, best year of my life.  

All my love, 
Your mama