wait, wait, wait... does that mean next year I'm DOUBLE DIGITS!!!!!! Face palm. Let's do nine first? Kay?

So my excitable little boy!!! Can I just say, with 2020 being what it was, how immensely proud I am of ALL my children for surviving each other and us parents. Lock down v1.0 was not easy. There were a LOT of tears, tantrums, meltdowns (yes these have their own classification as they differ hugely to a tantrum). But this post is not about lockdown, and the crappy parts of 2020, it is about how you, my little super star, have again flourished and exploded with new ideas and energy and life.

During the early months of last year, missing your class and your teacher, you got (even more) creative!! Filming was the way forward, and not just any filming- stop motion filming! Wow what fun that was, and we did some crazy videos, mainly starring your beloved "Movie Toys" as you fondly christened them for the role. This included your favourite "plush toy" pineapple head, along with rex the dinosaur, and a few others that I honestly can't remember their names. These movies delighted your teacher, and when you were able to return part time to school, you continued to explore filming and had just the best time.

It’s been amazing to see how you have been more in control of your emotions, and able to get your feelings across more. I was relieved that although we started discussing Halloween in August (Ohhh myyy), you didn't get flappy about it at all, and were accepting of the fact that it was still many many months away (Christmas wasn't even mentioned until AFTER Halloween.... huge progress!). All light-heartedness aside, this is actually a humongous step forward, and there were cracks as we got closer to said holidays, but wow what an amazing transformation. I do love how, on the weeks when I was being a bit lack-lustre, you created your own schedules so that you were clear on where you had to be and when (home, and home. With stop motion scheduled in, and a hot chocolate break).

This last year you have embraced foods outside the colour beige! Including vegetables! I think now we are up to 6 carrot slices and a family of peas (not to be confused with a crowd). Bananas are OK if they are the right shade of yellow and size, and red grapes are a go! Such amazingness.

Your love for new concepts is expanding, no longer are snakes and dinosaurs the passion, but Lego fills you with joy as you sit for hours until your creation is complete! Spider man and his friends have been allowed into the Movie Toy gang, but you still have a soft spot for your plush toys (as you fondly call them!). You created "Sonema" (=cinema+ sonny time) where we would come together as a family, choose a film and snuggle down with some snacks. You even made tickets for the events. No ticket, no entry. You also came up with a book club! Where we would gather once a month, with our books in hand, and a hot chocolate in the other, to give a recap on what we had read. You absolutely loved it, and it's something we will continue to do. I also adored "Cafe O" where me and dad would put some coffee shop jazz music on, turn the kitchen around into a make-shift cafe, including writing drinks and food specials on the board, for you and your sisters to come in and place an order. I loved sitting around the table chatting to you all. 

Your stubbornness is starting to work in your favour- deciding one day to ride your bike without stabilisers so you jumped on your sister's bike and just ....went. And now look at you go! a few weeks on and you are just a giggling flash flying by! It brings us such joy and we are beyond proud.

Doing your photos this year was so much fun, you couldn't wait as you knew they would go in your special book for next year. I think it's clear to say I am completely obsessed with your eyelashes, and your face in general which is just so beautiful. But the sunshine- argh! At one point I said to you, "the sun always seems to shine for you" which actually is a beautiful thing (it does make photographs more of a challenge).  It wasn't until I started looking back through the photos that I could see a glimpse of what you will look like when you are grown, and it took my breath away. I see such a positive future for you, one that I didn’t know existed before, but with each year you just become even more amazing. You teach us all so much, and your sponge of a mind is something fascinating. The terms you use to describe things are so articulate and precise, and your recounting of facts always astounds me. You are a remarkable boy, and I am so excited for you and this wonderful part of your life.

Happy birthday to our gorgeous son! Continue to be you. xx

 Love xox