Half a decade

Carson,

Half a decade seems like such a LONG time.  I told you recently that you were half a decade old and you said, "well that's not very old"  I explained that your KKay was six decades old, while she liked how young that sounded, half a DECADE sounds really really old to me and it seems to have gone by really really fast.

We made a deal this time last year that you would stay four forever, and while I knew you couldn't keep that deal, we had a really GREAT fourth year!  This year you have really surprised us as a little athlete.  You've played two soccer seasons, one tball season and currently karate.  Soccer really seemed to have 'clicked' with you this year.  During indoor soccer you were scoring up to ten goals a game.  You then played outdoor and still did great!  What I was most proud of you for was that you learned the value of team work and by the end of the season you were sharing the ball with your teammates, rather than fighting for the ball so that you could be the one to score.  You have been so much fun to watch play and even more fun to help coach.

You have also realized the importance of working out this year.  Seriously, I'm so proud that you want to run after school, do push ups, sit ups, and practice soccer, baseball, karate, whatever season it is.  I hope you continue to have this work ethic.  Hard work will pay off.

We also went on our first family beach vacation this year.  I have not posted about it for some reason, so I thought I'd mention it here.  You LOVED the beach.  Everyday, you and your friend we went with would play so hard, building sand castles, hunting craps and getting a pretty nice little tan despite all the sunscreen I rubbed on you.  You have been asking to go back to the beach weekly every since.  And since you and your sister have proved twice now to be super road trippers, I bet we will return. 

You also started Pre-K this year.  This was really hard on me as you can see from earlier posts... I just didn't want to lose full control of who you will become, I'll admit it.  But, I couldn't be MORE happy with who you are shaping up to be.  You are kind, thoughtful, full of life and most days, you are pretty good at school.  I also hated that I couldn't protect you from kids at school, but you seem to be doing ok in that department too considering you've already had your fist fight (not my proudest moment, but part of it).

The first time I laid eyes on you I thought, "He can't be mine, he's too perfect" and those thoughts have continued through my mind the last five years.  You are just too sweet to be mine.  For example, on Christmas Eve, you were so insistent on leaving Santa a gift because you thought it was sad that he never got to keep anything.  When I insisted that he didn't WANT to keep any of the gifts, you insisted on a LOAD of snacks for him instead.   Of course, the next day I was moaning about my back and you said "My stomach hurts because I'm hungry and you don't hear my whining about it."  I think you do things like that so that I know your mine. ;)

Bottom line, C, you are a dream.  And while I woke up today with a sad little pit in my stomach because it was your birthday, I love who you are becoming more and more every day.  When you were three, you told me that you had to get older because you have things you need to do.  And I do believe you do.  I've always said that there is a reason God gave you to me when he did.  I pray everyday that you become what He has intended you to become.  Always remember, you have things to do.  Do them.  Become everything that you can become.  Work hard. Play hard.  Love life.  And continue to live with your sweet, thankful heart everyday.