7 years – how time has flown by. I have moments where I forget that you’re not a baby anymore. What am I going to do? You’re growing up too fast. You’ve indicated lately that the little pet names I’ve always had for you are starting to embarrass you. What am I supposed to call you if Boo-boo, Scooter, and Love Bug are off limits? You are making it very clear that you are not a baby – we are not to call you baby, make you play with baby toys, eat baby food, or use baby words. I am struggling with this. I have a hard time not calling you MY BABY and you have a hard time understanding that I'm not calling you A BABY. I’m calling you MY BABY – totally different. And I probably will call you my baby forever. So, love buggy, you’re going to have to learn to live with it!
You are definitely starting to lose that “little kid” look and are looking, walking, and talking like a BIG KID. Oh my gosh. Your vocabulary is enormous. You use big words and even better is that you use them in the right context. You have always been super curious (“Curious Kaden”), but in the last year you have started to ask more and more questions about the world around you and just HOW DOES EVERYTHING WORK? I swear I can actually sees a thousand tiny little wheels turning in your head at any moment. Maybe its not that you’re asking more questions over this last year. Maybe it just seems like more to me because the questions have now become so complex that I usually don’t know the answer. But not to worry! If I don’t know the correct answer you usually are able to think of several possible explanations…and one question can easily turn into a 15 minute discussion ( actually, more like a monologue) about the various possible answers. I know that sometimes we can tend to lose our patience at the endless inquisitions, however I also know that those who really make a difference in this world are the ones who aren’t afraid to question everything around them. So keep asking.
This year you have further refined your amazing ability to invent, create, and engineer. I wish I had pictures of all the inventions and contraptions. Most of them involve commonly aquired materials such as blankets, wagons, boogie boards, and your favorite…bungee chords. The bungee chords are always missing and this has become a quite comical point of contention between you and your Dad. Nomatter how many times he tells you not to touch them your insatiable need to configure your contraptions overcomes your ability to use your best judgement, and you MUST STEAL THE BUNJEES.. ( If anyone reading this needs a birthday or Christmas present idea for Kaden – he would be stoked on a pack of bunjee chords or a set of ratcheted tie-downs. Cory would be thrilled as well.) It drives us crazy but I’m cracking up right now – because I cant tell you how many times, since you were a toddler, that we would walk in on you tying ropes and bunjee chords from one piece of furniture to the other in order to create your masterpiece. It’s this inquisitive nature that makes you who you are. The cutest part is the way you light up with excitement while you tell me how it works, what it does, and just how you made it. Sometime you even have the business plan of where it will be sold and who you will market it to. IM NOT KIDDING. Times like that make me so excited to see what your future holds – and just imagine what you could create with the world at your fingertips – maybe you could even become CEO of The Bungee Company…I’m just sayin’.
It has been such an amazing thing to watch how much you have learned with your first year of school behind you. Your learned to read and write this year in Kindergarten, and your reading skills have surpassed my expectations of what I thought you would learn in the first year. Your Dad and I used to be able to spell out words that we didn’t want you to hear. You know…. SANTA and PAPA’S HOUSE and ICE CREAM…those kinds of things. About 6 months ago you totally started being able to make out what we were spelling, and therefore learning all of our secrets. The good part about this is that Daddy and my Spanish speaking skills have improved drastically over the last 6 months. I’m sure it won’t be long until you figure out how to speak Spanish, just so you can know what we’re talking about. Last week you told me that you wanted money for your birthday to buy “Muzzy” and learn “all the languages” so that you would always know what we are talking about. I would not put it past you.
Your aptitude for mathematics is even better than your reading and writing! You can add and subtract by the 100’s. I’m pretty sure this isn’t normal first grade math. And when I ask you how you got so smart you answer me like “Duh, mom…I just know!” It comes in very handy for you when I run out of cash and have to “borrow” your tooth fairy money. You know to the penny how much I owe you, because you have correctly subtracted the cost of each ice cream cone and pack of gum that I bought you from the total balance of my $13 debt to you. Without a calculator of course. AMAZING.
Your love of music has continued to grow this year, and we love to watch you learn to play the guitar and the ukulele with Dad. You listen to Jack Johnson and Donovan Frankenreiter in your room – sometimes I peek in and see you playing air guitar or just singing along – you know all the lyrics- it’s the cutest thing on earth. Sometimes you write songs for me and perform them. Your singing voice is one of my favorite things about you.
Kaden, although you can be oversensitive sometimes, it is that same sensitivity that makes you so compassionate and caring about others’ feelings. This is my favorite thing about you and probably the thing that makes me most proud to be your mommy. You show respect for adults and peers, and treat others how you want to be treated (your little brother is the exception, but we’ll let that one slide). Your will of steele can get you in trouble, but behind the stubborn and hot temper is a very tender heart of pure gold. Oh how I love to see the person you are turning out to be.
It’s hard for me to put into words the way I feel about you when I look back over the last 7 years that you have blessed our life. You changed me in so many ways. You made me a mommy – granted at a much younger age than I ever intended. You were with me during some very important years of trying to figure out life and just what I was going to make of it. You were with us through the adjustments of the first years of marriage, and because of you we tried a little harder to make it through the rough patches. You were with me as I looked at the goals that I had for my life- that now had to be reconfigured because of your arrival – and with you on my hip, I accomplished all of them. You even packed my lunch for school when I was finishing up my degree. Everyone told me having a baby would make accomplishing all of this harder – I think you made it all a lot more meaningful. You changed everything. And for that, I will always feel a special bond with you.
I can’t help but think of how much you bless us everyday with your curious mind – your sensitive, compassionate heart – your strong, determined will – and your wonderful sweet spirit. We wait with joy and anticipation at what your 8th year of life will bring.
Happy Birthday Biggie.
Xoxo,
Mama
