Mei is three and the queen bee. She is the epitome of joy and is at a magical age. She has been stunning us with her language skills for more than half of her life but now we are regularly dazzled by her thoughts and understanding. We all think she is the greatest little girl in the world. She brings so much color – especially pinks and purples – to our family. She is royalty. I love her so much.
I have seen this day coming from far off but I am still in disbelief that Alex has really been alive for a whole decade. He is ten years old! This is huge. I feel like every day he is making a memory that will last the rest of his life. I worry we have not done enough to help him realize his potential. I often underestimate him and I am starting to recognize that 10 is a lot older than I think it is. But I am also not trying to rush him and make him be more mature than he really should be, even though he is my oldest. He just moved out of his five-point harness carseat. He never complained about it or thought it was weird. He is well under the weight limit so we just kept him in it. Then when the baby came along Alex needed to move to a smaller booster seat to allow all of the carseats to fit into our van.
Alex reads almost nonstop. He tries to bring books to the table during lunch and dinner. He stays up for hours beyond his bedtime reading by nightlight in his bed. He cares for people so much, but those feelings are not always reciprocated and I hope and pray he can find friends who invest in him also. I worry about him because he has a soft heart and things hurt him deeply. A little more confidence and a little less perfectionism is just what he needs, but don't we all. He is figuring out who he is and it is so exciting to watch.
Wait, 11 years?! Does that make us old or something?
Sam is such a good person. I wait for him to get home just like the kids do. We follow him around the house. Basically I am his puppy but he treats me like a queen. Last night he listened to me complain about feeling large and uncomfortable while he gave me a back scratch. For an hour. If that doesn't describe true love, I don't know what does. People have told us that we are "relationship goals" and I laugh because it is all Sam. If he weren't so good, patient, kind, and sweet then we would be no where near where we are now. Being married to Sam is easy. I love him so much.
Sweet Declan is six years old! He loves birthdays as much as I do and was stoked to walk through the streamers hanging from his door this morning. He got dressed this morning and then announced, "I am ready and I am coming downstairs!" That way we would know to welcome the birthday boy appropriately. Declan's athleticism is insane but he is also six, so occasionally he trips over thin air. He is so full of joy and energy. Declan has been a blessing to our family since day one and he isn't letting anything slow him down.
Today we got to celebrate Edison for his eighth birthday. It seems so right that he is eight, and he has been talking about this day for weeks. There is something so special about Edison that I cannot quite put into words. He is 100% himself all of the time. He does not change to fit a situation or mold to how someone else expects him to act. He is always moving and is so fun to be around. He is dependable, consistent, and loved.
