Dear Bugs,
Tomorrow you will be eight years old... I think eight is great! (you still love my corny side so I have to get it in where I can!!)!!
It's hard to believe that I've been a mom for 8 years, it seems like such a long time, and a short time all at once. Life began 8 years ago, the life I dreamed, wanted, needed all began 8 years ago when you came into this world with all your crazy hair and huge blue eyes and the biggest heart I've ever known. There are a million, bazillion things I love and admire about you, but tonight on the eve of eight, I'm going to try to pick just 8...
1. - Your Compassion: At eight you still remain the tender hearted child you've always been, kind to everyone you meet, never judging, never mean, never one to look for a flaw. You are kind and open and always willing to help, to comfort, to offer a smile. You are honest to a fault, you put everyone before you and you do so happily. You delight in the joy of others and always play the peacemaker. Your heart is so incredibly huge and strong and fierce and I'm so proud of you. You are good, simply and honestly good.
2. - Your Laugh: At eight you still have the most innocent and wholesome bubbling laugh that not an adult around could not smile and laugh with you. It radiates around you and bounces from the walls and fills me with such happiness I feel like I'm going to explode in rainbows and confetti and glitter and hearts and starts and everything happy. It is hands down, my most favorite sound.
3. - Your Intuitiveness: At eight you are so very intuitive. You are still so innocent and sometimes almost too sheltered, but yet you have the ability to see when someone is hurting or sad, and you have this ability to give love and comfort better than most. I guess it all goes back to your tender heart. Your love is an amazing thing and each day I am so lucky to be a receiver of it.
4. - Your Love of Math: At eight you are one smart cookie!! You LOVE math, live for it actually. You love numbers and breaking them down and putting them back together and you do it all in your head and you amaze me every single day. You excel and challenge your teachers, and we're all so very proud of you!!
5. - Your Stinky Feet: At eight you have crazy stinky pickle feet and as awful as it sounds I still love them. It's a mom thing, or maybe it's just a me thing, I've always loved the smell of your baby drool pillows and now your stinky feet. (someday you'll understand, or perhaps just realize that I'm your crazy stinky smell loving mom??)
6. - Your Eyes: At eight your eyes continue to be huge, bright blue, long lashed and beautiful. They are full of laughter and love and knowledge. They sparkle and shine when you are happy and they twinkle with mischief when you are moody. You give me "looks" that make my heart feel like it's going to burst. Your eyes are expressive and kind, windows into the goodness that is you... I could stare into them for ever.
7. - Your Funny: At eight you have the best sense of humor ever! You truly find funny things funny, you have a bit of your momma's sarcasm and a comedic timing that is getting finer tuned by the day. You make me laugh true belly laughs. Your silly is my favorite silly.
8. - You: At eight YOU are the perfect YOU! I love every single thing about you, from your stinky toes to your sweaty head, from your funny bone to your huge heart. I'm so very proud of the young man you are becoming. I'm in awe of who you are, how you think and react and behave. You truly are the best person I know.
This year has been full of high highs and low lows but through it all it's been a great year, because I have you. I'm so proud to be your mom, I love you so much! Being your mom has made me a better person. So as we tackle eight, my wish for you is to keep being you. Stay innocent and strong, funny and smart, kind, compassionate, loving. Follow your heart, because it's an amazing heart. You are beyond anything I could have ever wanted or wished for. I love you with all my heart!!
Love,
Momma
