Dear Austin,
Happy 5th birthday to our darling young son. Five years old...REALLY?!! Where has the time gone? You laughed this morning when I told you that you weren't five yet. We've been counting down the days until you're birthday since....gosh, about 100 days ago. You thought I was kidding when I said you weren't five yet! I wasn't lying. You actually turned five at 1:17pm. Yes sir. That's the time you entered our lives, on this day, five years ago.
I remember that day like it was yesterday. It will forever be engrained in my mind because it's the day you decided to become a part of our family in this big wide world.
My dearest Austin, I'm starting to cry now as I write your birthday letter. This past year has seen some turbulent times. We've had some downs, but definitely had more ups. You are still such a strong-willed boy and you are so incredibly sensitive and alert to other people's feelings. You have such a huge part of my soul and I can feel our strong connection as though you can read me like a book. You never cease to amaze me with some of the things you say and do. You often know when I need a hug and know when I just need to see your little smile. I love when you blow me kisses from across the room.
I read your 4 year old birthday letter and laughed when I read the part about your obsession with AC/DC and emergency vehicles. Nothing much has chnaged in those areas! You are still obsessed with them. Whenever I ask you to put on some music, you ALWAYS want to put on AC/DC cd's. You dance around the living room, playing air guitar and jamming to the beat. You still have a great rythym and groove. Sienna even joins in with you and dances away. It's so funny to hear you two fight over what music to play. She wants Adele and you want AC/DC! You normally win.
One new obsession this year has been lego's. You received a small one as a gift and then it exploded from there. For your birthday today, grandma gave you a super cool police 18 wheeler lego set (for 5-12 year olds). When you woke at 6am today, you started building it immediately! Three hours later, you were still building it!! You did a fantastic job with it all on your own. Such a clever boy!! You have so many lego's now and you have no trouble building new things everyday. You sometimes get cross with Sienna when she wants to play with your lego's. But, for the mostpart, you are kind with her and let her play with the ones you aren't using.
You started 4 year old kinder this year (3 half days a week). You LOVE it. I have no trouble at all getting you ready for kinder. You sometimes even ask if you can go on your days off! Batman Park is a lovely kinder with a great group of children. Many of them will be going to your primary school next year. I can't believe we only have a few more months together before you start your journey into the world of school!! I'm going to miss spending so much time with you. I've been incredibly fortunate to have all this time with my sweet boy.
One of my favorite children's books is Oh the Places You'll Go, by Dr Seuss. Here is an excerpt for you, on your 5th birthday.
[Dr Seuss - Oh the Places You'll Go]
Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.
.....
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)
KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
You're off the Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!
That's right, Austin. You ARE off to great places and you WILL move mountains. You WILL. I just know it.
My sweet boy, I hope you had a wonderful day today as we celebrated your 5th birthday. Always remember how much we adore your sweet soul and that we love you to the moon and stars and back (& to infinity and beyond)!!
Love forever and ever,
Mommy, daddy & Sienna
xoxo
(I will insert some pictures later this week)
