Sam Birthday: Part 1

My sweet boy turned five years old last week. He has been looking forward to his birthday for months, particularly because he wanted to get an Optimus Prime costume (which he received, in addition to a Batman costume which he received from a cousin). We made an extra big deal out of his birthday this year, I think partially because he was so excited, but also perhaps because I felt a bit guilty for missing his actual birthday last year (I was en route to Turkey).

We celebrated his actual birthday with some friends and family members in a park. We chose a park near J's work, so that he could meet with us on his lunch break. Sam also loves this park because all the playground equipment is really fun. Although we battled a little bit of rain, most of the kids were able to go out and enjoy the fun play structure and climbing ropes.

 

I feel really lucky to be the mother of such a kind, sweet boy. Sam is very kind to other children and is always surprised when he notices unkind things happen around him. He is inherently considerate and cautious. He also is a very smart boy. He has been reading for over a year and probably reads at a first-grade level. We like to read chapter books together, too. So far we have read the first two books from the Oz series. I'm glad that Sam has the patience and the attention span to listen to these books, especially considering that they are written in a slightly older style of writing.

Sam is getting thinner and taller all the time. I have come to terms with the fact that he is no longer my baby, although I'm glad that he still likes to snuggle with me and sit in my lap. I hope that we have another few years of snuggles before Sam is too big to fit in my lap altogether.