Six is special

 This past Saturday Michael turned 6 and it seems with every birthday the kids have had since I’ve been their mother, I find myself asking,“How can it be?” “Wasn’t Michael just three the other day?” 

 

And while 5 is a special age because with it you officially move from pre-school to “real school” and graduate from little kid to just kid, six in itself is special too.  With three children I’m starting to see what Jarrett and my sister claim to have experienced as the “middle child”    While the oldest child gets to do all the new things (i.e. play a new sport, help feed the baby, test out the new toy), the youngest child gets all the attention (because she’s constantly into something she’s not supposed to be in or plain out, needs food, a drink, a diaper, her blanket, etc).  And then there is the middle child, the go-with-the-flow personality that seems content and happy to do pretty much anything.  In this past year, that is who I’ve seen Michael grow into.

This past year has been big for Michael.  Not only has he grown taller, smarter and funnier, but he’s also become more compassionate, loving and oh so protective of a certain tiny person that waddles around our house.  I’m so proud of Michael for so many reason and to name them all would make this post longer than anyone has time to read.  Perhaps what I’ve enjoyed most about watching Michael grow from 5 to 6 is that he has grown into an amazing little person and the best big brother. 

Before having Isabelle join our family, I wondered how Michael would adapt, how he’d learn to go from getting all of the attention to having to share it with two other people. I admit, I often thought about it (worried) at night, if he knew he was still just as special and loved just as much. Unlike Gabriel, because being the oldest I know you still get a lot of attention (okay maybe I’m speaking from personal experience), I didn’t know what it was like to be the middle child. And as I think back through what this past year has brought for us, I can only recall moments of pure happiness from Michael that he was now a big brother. 

 

Almost as if he was waiting for a new challenge, Michael looked forward to being a role model, a leader and the person to whom Isabelle could go to for help. As a tiny baby, Michael would carefully grab Isabelle’s hand and caress it. And each and every night as we tuck them into bed, he’d ask to give her a kiss and say, “I love you Isabelle” Now that she’s older and has taken on a dare-devilish stage, he follows her around the house giving her lesson after lesson about not touching that or don’t climb on that, “you’ll get hurt Isabelle, follow me instead.” It is so precious to hear. 

It has also been fun to watch Michael blossom at school as he interacts with his teacher and his friends.  This past week, I was able to go on my first field trip with Michael’s class to the farm.

notice Michael, top row right below the sunglasses on the watermelon

It was an experience in itself, I think my ears are still recovering from the noise on the school bus.  And while every parent wants their child to be socially accepted and to have a lot of friends, I have to say while making my heart ache a bit that he preferred to sit with his buddies, I couldn’t be happier that he has made such great friends.  He said, “Mom- you can sit behind me with the girls, okay?” It was really fun to observe him interacting with his peers and being a helper to the girls who were afraid to touch the baby goats.

 It was heart-warming to see him interact and play with everyone from his class as if they were all friends, no one excluded.  Those are qualities I want my children to embody and it makes me happy to see Michael share them with his world. 

 

 

When I think about Michael there are so many qualities that come to mind.  He’s our comedian, always making a joke, in fact, if you ask him how old he is, you’ll never get a straight answer.  This morning he said he was 26.  He’s our go-with-the flow boy.  He’s not about having all the attention, he’s about celebrating with others as they accomplish new things or are recognized.  He’s about celebrating with their victories.  He’s my challenger…. He loves to give me gray hairs as he’s always going to be the one to challenge me to think about things differently and that’s sometimes where he’s good at pushing my buttons.  Like the afternoon I told them they could play whatever he wanted as long as it was a good choice.  Michael interpreted that to mean he could grab the car keys and go try to drive the car out of the garage (not even joking a tiny bit).  Again, he makes me see the world differently than I do and for this stubborn mom who likes to be a bit bossy , that aint’ all bad. 

Finally, the quality that I think best describes Michael is unselfish.  In the days leading up to his birthday, we didn’t hype it up with all the pomp and circumstance that past birthdays have had.  We did not plan a big party, just a family dinner (again one of those sacrifices with having more time together) and we didn’t have loads of gifts.  Not once did Michael ask for lots of presents or for a big party.  In fact on Wednesday, at Kid Zone, his after school program, he made Jarrett and I a gift.  It was a gift that read, “Thank you Mom and Dad for being the bestest.  I love you…. Michael.”  And inside were the best homemade gifts any mom or dad could ask for.  In fact thinking about it, brings tears to my eyes… I recorded him showing me what he had made because I realize how special of a child I’ve been given and how I want to remember this forever….

 

Michael, I hope your 6^th year of life is full of all the things you wish for.  I hope you laugh, I hope you dance and I hope you feel more love than ever before.  Happy birthday my big boy…. Happy Birthday!

 

We love you soooooo much.

Mom and Dad