My sweet boy,
I can hardly believe tonight is your last night as a ten year old – I know I say this every year but the time has just gone way too fast. I remember coming home from the hospital with you like it was yesterday. This last year was a challenging one – you just completed your fourth grade year which was entirely via zoom due to the Covid pandemic. You guys did get to spend the last couple months back on campus but had to wear masks and keep distanced from your friends. Despite the challenges you finished the year with perfect grades like normal – you are a very smart, dedicated student and are always on top of your work. You also love to read like your mama and most nights I have to tell you a few times that it’s time to put your book away and go to sleep. Your favorites are graphic novels like Dog Man and Wimpy Kid and you love Minecraft and Pokemon books as well. You just finished your first season of majors for baseball and your team did very well and you’re looking forward to starting soccer in a couple months. You still enjoy playing drums and guitar and are taking keyboard this summer also.
Movies and video games top your favorite things to do list as well as playing with your cousins and playdates with your friends at Dave and Busters, Lamppost, etc. You and your sister are both thrilled that most places have opened back up and you’re able to see your friends again. We had a laser tag party with a few of your friends last week and it was so nice to see you guys running around and playing after being separated for over a year. You also love hanging at grandma and papa’s house and have declared that grandma’s is your favorite restaurant lol. She rotates your favorites for dinner the nights we are there and you love it. For the most part you are a great big brother – Ellie is with you at camp for the first time this year and you have been helping her find her way around and feel comfortable. You two love playing video games together as well and you are pretty patient with her. I love watching your relationship develop and I am happy you will have each other as you grow up.
I cannot tell you how proud I am of how you have handled the last year and a half – navigating our new family dynamic during a pandemic and while being out of your normal routine and separated from your friends cannot have been easy but you have stayed strong and good-natured and kept your sense of humor through it all. I love the intelligent, sweet young man you are growing into and I can’t wait to see what life has in store for you. I love you so much and Happy Birthday to the boy that made me a mama <3
Love,
Mama