Tomorrow You Are Six

The countdown began the day I told you that you were officially five and a half and you can't wait to be six.  You have had a huge growth spurt this year and I often forget that you aren't already.  For a boy who was diagnosed with failure to thrive, who didn't outgrow his newborn clothes for months and who was such a little baby, you are turning into a tall boy (122cm last time I measured you) and I think you are going to be more like your biggest brother with this.

Your year of being five has been characterised heavily by a global pandemic which has forced you to spend a lot more time in the house than is natural for you.  Mostly, you have taken it in your stride but I have seen recently just how fed up of it all you are, and I can't wait to send you back to school so you can have the social interaction you so desperately need. This year I have had so much bonus time with you and whilst you can be incredibly hard work to parent, you are also so full of love and affection, you make me laugh every day and I am so thankful that I get to be your Mummy.

Five was the year you really learned to read and every time we share a book I see how fast this skill is coming on.  Whilst you are reluctant to engage in the home learning that your school provides, I know how capable you are and I have no doubt that you are learning all the time and your love of learning will continue with the right environment.  

You know what you want and you won't accept anything else, you are head strong, stubborn, determined and focused.  You are going to go far . . . if you want to.  You eat only the foods you want and there is no persuading you otherwise, you learn only when you want to and you understand the power of an impromptu nap to get you out of things.  You love to dance and your moves involve every part of your body.  You love listening to music and I see how you feel it all.  You would spend all day either gaming or watching other people gaming on youtube and you struggled to think of what you wanted for your birthday other than 'two cakes'. With it still being lockdown, I am much more willing to go along with this.

You are so excited to have your birthday, even though it will be nothing like what we are used to.  I want it to be special for you, I want you to smile and laugh and feel birthday joy all day and my dream is that when you (finally) fall asleep tomorrow night, probably snuggled up in my arms, that you go to sleep content and happy.

Finn, you are a force of nature.  You are vibrant, confident, overflowing with personality and the world needs to be ready for you.  You frustrate me regularly but you make me proud just as often.  I hope you never stop being so unreservedly yourself.  You have come so far, you have proved everyone wrong and I will take a moment tomorrow to really remember what an amazing little person you are.

Happy Birthday baby boy, Happy Birthday Finn.  You are loved more than I ever knew you could be

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Before You Turn Six

Tonight you have been practising your six year old cuddles.  You have told me that they start becoming 1% less good from every year now, that you peaked at age 5 but I still think they will be the best cuddles ever because most people that know you agree that cuddling is one of your special skills. Tonight I put you to bed as a five year old for the very last time as tomorrow you will wake up six.

This time six years ago, I had no idea you would be arriving soon.  I was convinced I would go overdue and had no signs that you were ready.  You were born at 7:30 am the next morning and you were so laid back and easy going from the very beginning.  We were home in time for lunch and you settled on my chest and stayed there for many months.  Now you are growing up so quickly, finding your own friends and hobbies and developing strong opinions on the things that matter - like what colour shoes you need.  You are not afraid to make a choice that is a bit different and you are, as I write every year, unapologetically yourself.

Five was the year you declared that gold was your favourite colour (followed of course by pink), it was the year you discovered Minecraft and it took over your every thought.  It was a year of fun and friendships and you have such a wonderful group.  You were five when you started in year one, and even though the changes had been gradual, I couldn't work out how you managed to look so big next to the little children who started in reception.  There seemed like far more than a few months between you and them.  I saw your height, your confidence, your speed and your maturity properly.

Archie, my baby boy who isn't really a baby, I can't wait to see how much fun you can have as a six year old.  I hate the idea of you growing up too fast as you are at such a wonderful age right now, but I feel so privileged to watch you becoming yourself.  

I have been re-reading the 'before you turn' letters that I write to you every year and so much is still the same.  You are still so caring, looking out for other people and making sure everyone is ok. You still are happiest naked, you burst into song at the most random moments and you come out with some fantastic comments.  You love company and would have a friend round every day after school if we let you.  You don't like being in a room by yourself and always seek out someone to be with you.  You are funny, smart and bright eyed and we all love you so much

Before you turn six, as I kiss you for the last time as a five year old, I just want you to know how truly loved you are.

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Nun Night Five Year Old

My baby boy, I don't think I have much longer of you allowing me to call you that.  This year you have grown in so many ways and you are so ready to turn six tomorrow.  You are the last of your friends to have a birthday and it seems crazy that some of them will be turning seven in just a few short weeks.  This year you have really cemented your friendships and you have a great group.  

This year you have grown physically, you are so tall and your feet have finally gone up a size after not growing for 18 months.  Your first two teeth came out a few weeks ago and in their place there are already two big teeth.  The novelty of wobbling and waiting has worn off now, although you are a big fan of the tooth fairy and her ability to bring you money whilst you sleep.

I feel like I have been waiting forever for you to fall in love with reading and I think we are finally getting there.  You learned to read so early and you have always been great at it, but you stopped wanting to do it at home and I refused to push you.  This last week you have been enjoying reading chapters of your library books though and I hope this is the start of it.  I loved reading at your age and I still do now, so I hope you find that same passion.

Five has been the age of Star Wars, an obsession despite the fact you have never seen any of the films.  It has been the start of joke telling, the age you discovered slapstick comedy, the beginning of computer games and minecraft and the year you have begged for your own tab on a daily basis.  Five has been a year of independence as you started pouring your own cup of milk, making your own breakfast and crossing roads without holding my hand all the time.  Five was the age you started riding a bike, and hopefully you will love the shiny green one we have wrapped up for you in the morning.

I struggle to understand how it was nearly 6 years ago that you changed everything, yet I sit here writing this, exhausted from a day at the beach with you and you three younger siblings and I smile at what you started.  I wasn't a mother until you came along.

You don't feature as much on the blog as you once did, you are too busy with school in the week and you don't always want your photo taken as much when you are at home.  You are still the inspiration for why I started blogging though and I still want to document these changes as you grow older.  You don't stay still for long either and I was left with either slightly blurry photos or some very interesting expressions to choose from for this letter!

My baby boy, tonight I put you to bed as a five year old for the last time.  You have never been more excited for your birthday, never spent quite as long counting down, never had such expectations and I hope tomorrow is perfect for you.

Sleep tight my gorgeous five year old,  for tomorrow is a big day.
Love Mummy xxxxxxxx

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