Exhausted from an all day wedding in the sweltering heat and a two and a half hour long drive home, I went into his room to kiss him good night, as I do every night, and shift him back to the proper side of the bed (he manages to completely flip himself to where his head rests at the foot of the bed with Dog Dog safely tucked under his arm). When I picked him up I noticed it and then as he flipped over he mumbled, still asleep, “do you like my summer hair?!”
Last night, before your father and I went to bed, I asked him if he remembered the day you were born. And vividly, he did. It was the day his first and only son was born and he couldn’t have been a more prouder dad. It’s been 7 years and he’s still crazy proud of you…as am I.
There are a ton of reasons we adore you…the following 7 are just a few.
Your INFATUATION with donuts! There isn’t a weekend that goes by that you don’t ask for one. Chocolate frosted. No sprinkles. However, on Thursday, knowing that you were going to be king for a day on Friday, you asked for a special donut. Not only did you get sprinkles…which are pretty darn special…but you got TWO donuts. Later complaining that your belly hurt because you inhaled both donuts in one sitting with a ginormous glass of milk.
Your ability to humor me and indulge me whenever I’m on a whim to take a picture of you. Immediately after taking this picture, you took the hand that had two fingers up in the shape of an “L”, put it on your forehead, pointed at me, laughed a good belly laugh and went back inside the house to finish your episode of SpongeBob; you know…the one you seen 700 million bagillion times!
Your insistence on being independent and unique. You definitely dance to the beat of your own drum. I love that you put thought into things. For instance, when we went to pick out your cake, you pretty much had it designed in your head and made a vivid representation of it to the baker. I’m surprised that you didn’t draw her a picture…like you do with us when you want us to bring to reality something that’s been on your mind (like your skateboard ramp!). You love to figure things out for yourself and only as a last resort will you ask us for help. Unless of course, it has anything to do with Zelda. There, you just want to look up the cheat logs online and be done with it!
You are so very animated and charismatic. Not to mention a total smart ass! (definitely MY son!) You never hesitate to tell us what’s on your mind, put your sisters in their place and charm the ladies. You have a love for life and want to live it fully everyday; always asking your dad at the end of the night, “Daddy, tomorrow can I….(insert whatever crazy idea you have in mind).
And really, dude, all I ask is for a simply smile and I get this…
Your dad is your hero. Hands down. There is no wrong he can do, nothing he can’t fix, nothing he doesn’t know. He’s your oracle, your biggest fan and your wing man.
Show off. Ham. We love that you set goals and that you want to do whatever it takes to achieve those goals. You’ve been saving up for a trip to the toy store. You’ve been doing extra chores, being extra good (most of the time) and being extra huggie in the hopes that we’ll slip you a dollar or two. You’re excellent at negotiation, too.
Despite how often you two fight. Despite how crazy she may make you. No matter how many times she’s left your room in disarray, your sister, Sydney, is your bestest friend. You’ve called her for advice, missed her when she’s not home, gotten excited on the days that’s she’s to come over, anxious to show her something, happy just to see her. I love the relationship that you have with all of your siblings, but we are even prouder and happier of the bond that you have with Sydney. We know that you two will always be like that and honestly…there’s no better partner in crime than a sibling
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NICO OX MANCHEW BUB!
YOU ARE SO RIDICULOUSLY LOVED!
And so, in celebration of Fantastic Friday, I’m going to share my favorite things about today…
Fresh cut flowers from the florist. My favorite roses, those fun little berry things and the aroma coming from the bouquet.
Nico and his obsession with Dog Dog. It’s been his constant since he was 8 months old and I fear the day that Dog Dog will have to retire his duties as faithful companion. He’s old. He’s ragged. Yet, oh so very loved. Best $10 Aunt Pinky EVER spent.
It’s official…as if it wasn’t already known…I’m an Apple Junkie. This morning’s giddiness when FedEx arrived was almost embarrassing. Internet, meet iPad. My crazy, ridiculously expensive and unnecessary play thing. While I do have tons of fantastic ideas in mind for it, the fact that I’ll be able to play LineUp with a much bigger screen just makes me SWOON!
Today is a good day. And not just because it’s St. Patrick’s Day. Or because the sun is shining. Or because there are signs of Spring everywhere. Or because I got to drive in the car today with the windows down and the iPod playing loudly. It’s a good day because of all of those things combined, some super fabulous good news and because I got presents delivered by FedEx.
Albums. They make me squeal. I tear into the box as if I were a kid at Christmas and then I carefully examine the packaging and ooh and ahh over the material and pages. I love my albums. I love that I get to show these as samples to all my clients friends….it reminds me that I’m playing with the big kids now.
Today’s delivery included these…Sexiness wrapped up in a 9×12.
And classic elegance in 8×8. LOVE!
And because it is St. Patty’s day I thought I should share with you how to properly catch a leprechaun — though it hasn’t happened yet since obviously the little imp is way too fast. Regardless, it doesn’t stop Nicholas from trying since every year the leprechaun leaves a donut as a consolation prize. And we all know how he feels about donuts.
Halloween is big in our house. And we always enjoy the spookiness and mischief the night brings.
I was in love with Nicholas’ costume this year. Homemade costumes are simply THE.BEST. We walked a couple of blocks when we were forced to call home and beg for a ride due to the pouring rain. Good times.
When I was 8 I swore up and down that Santa Claus had blue eyes. Big blue eyes.
Yesterday afternoon it was evident that it was the day. The day that Nico would lose his first tooth. And much like his older, wiser sister had told him, it didn’t hurt…just felt a little weird. He carefully placed it in a baggie and wrote her a note. “Take care of my tooth. Make sure it gets a good wish!” Because don’t you know that the toothfairy takes the teeth that she collects and grinds them up into fairy dust that in turn gets used when you make a wish? I had no clue!
This morning I heard Nico squeal like a little piggy when he reached underneath his pillow to find a little baggie filled with money in exchange for the tooth he had left last night. $6 is the going rate for a first tooth. Apparently, a dollar for each year that you are when you first lose a tooth.
And when I asked him if he had seen the tooth fairy, he smiled and said, “Of course! She had a glow in the dark head and wings as big as the room!” How I missed it, sleeping in the next room, is beyond me!
Oh…and come to find out — years later — that Santa has big brown eyes. Right, Aunt Pinky?!
My newphew, Luis, always asks his mom why she cries at his events. It’s a mom thing. A sappy emotion that turns us into balls of mush. It could be a song on the radio, looking at you as you brush your teeth one night and realize, “Oh my God! When in the world did you get so tall?!” It’s just a mom thing. And today, despite telling myself and Mike that I wouldn’t, as soon as the march for Pomp and Circumstance started playing and I saw my little 6 year old’s head peeking above the crowd, I lost it. Completely. Auto focus saved my life as he darted past me in the processional all serious and introvert…totally unaware that his mother was a mess behind her camera lens. It was such a sad display that I had another mom come up to me and say, “watching you cry, made me cry! Is he your first?!” As I proceeded to tell her that he was my 4th and the last one, I cried even more.
There is just something about your kid doing something utterly amazing and even simple that is so heart wrenching to a mother. This was one of those events. God help me at his high school graduation!
“When I grow up, I want to be an airline pilot and fly to Florida.”
AYKM?! Look at how handsome my pensive boy is…
The Kindergarten Graduating Class of 2009! (Nico’s top, right)
The true son of a photographer…this shot was just for me and he did it all by himself! Love him!
This one was for dad who is always giving him the thumbs up!
Congratulations, Nico!
His teachers, Mrs. Goodwin and Mrs. Vona
We walked into his classrooom and saw his name on the board since it was his birthday yesterday. I provided embellishment.
And possibly the best shot of the day!
And yes, I wrote this entry and cried some more. That’s just how I roll.
The postcard arrived in the mail over 2 months ago and for those two months, Nico would stare at it every night at dinner and sigh saying, “I really wish we could go to the circus.” I really don’t know where the kid gets his dramatics from… wink, wink
Well, magically, tickets to the circus arrived and finally the day came. And we went.
Clown college before the show=AWESOME! The kids get to participate and interact with the clowns and acrobats…
Nico’s WOW face when he saw freaky trapeze lady…
Secretly, I think Mike always wanted to be in the cirus.
The stuff that the trainer’s get their animals to do is simple awesome. I heart the elephants.
At around 7pm during the summer months, our kitchen looks likes this. I love to bask in it with my boy. And rather than the traditional pictures one would get on mother’s day…these are what I got. I heart them.
It’s official…as if it wasn’t already known…I’m an Apple Junkie. This morning’s giddiness when FedEx arrived was almost embarrassing. Internet, meet iPad. My crazy, ridiculously expensive and unnecessary play thing. While I do have tons of fantastic ideas in mind for it, the fact that I’ll be able to play LineUp with a much bigger screen just makes me SWOON!
And classic elegance in 8×8. LOVE!
