This year, I’m nearly as surprised another birthday has come around as you were when you climbed into the penguin observation tube at the Aviary and were shocked to discover it involved...observing penguins.
This was the same level of surprise you expressed when we went fishing with your great-uncle during a trip to his Michigan farm this year and you were flabbergasted to discover the fish were actual real-life living breathing fish (emphasis on “were,” I guess).
In both scenarios, you did what you do best—make people smile. You are a constant source of joy and light and a complete lack of cynicism you most certainly did not get from me (we’ll talk about what that means when you’re older, though you are starting to pick up on sarcasm so that convo might come sooner than I think). Even when your journey hits the occasional speed bump, you never lose your ability to find the good in anyone and anything in any scenario or circumstance. Even, as it turns out, in the orthodontist’s office.
Expander
The biggest change in your life lately has come in the form of a complicated wire contraption that’s been inserted into the roof of your mouth. Your expander, intended to make room for your adult teeth while correcting a jaw misalignment, has been in for about a month, meaning we have, ideally, about four more to go (but who’s counting?). I don’t love this thing because every night I have to shove a device resembling a needle on the end of a reusable straw into your mouth, affix it to a hole the size of the period at the end of this sentence and crank it until it turns a full rotation. This was initially impossible. For the first few days, these attempts resulted in nothing more than a lot of over-the-top sighing and sobbing. You were pretty upset, too. I literally stabbed you in the cheek at one point (accidentally—again, more sobbing from me than you) and I literally backed away arms raised, dropped the weapon and fled the room. We’ve got the hang of it now, but I still cannot understand how in the year 2023, I can adjust the thermostat in my dining room from Hawaii but can’t push a button and make this damn thing do the only thing it’s invented to do. Four more months, kid. We got this.
Your Crew
One good thing to come from the expander (other than the whole “fixing your mouth” thing) is how it’s brought out the best in your friends. Your pal Sokani wrote you the most beautiful card talking about how your smile will always be beautiful to her, no matter what. This is the kind of stuff that shows you who your tribe is, girl, and I hope those supportive voices ring loud and strong in your ears as you continue to find fellow kindhearted people and make lasting connections with them. When you first got your expander and were worried about kids making fun of the way you talked, I told you to just look them up and down and say, “Mean people are boring.” Because it’s true. Mean people are always the same: so insecure in themselves that they have to target others who have already figured it out. Never let a person who doesn’t know his/herself tell you who you are supposed to be. Just hope that they get there one day, and when they do, show them what real friendship looks like.
I mean.
Speaking of lasting connections: yes, Ethan is still your bestie. He’s still a sweet, lovely boy. Sadly, you hated what he got you for your birthday.
That’s you reacting to the Sonic doll he got you. Your favorite toy from your favorite person. Do birthdays get better than that?
Screen Time
Yes, Sonic continues to reign supreme (at least I’m telling myself it does—I refuse to give the title to Gumball) and you also really like Roblox and YouTube and basically anything you can do on your iPad. Problem is, these days your brother is equally interested in the exact same things, which results in constant vying for his turn with anything you want to play with at any given moment. You continue to be incredibly patient with him, and I try to reward you with time away from him whenever possible. Sometimes that means sending him and dad out for some guy time whenever you have a friend over so you can play in peace rather than pausing every ten minutes for a Luke-related catastrophe. Sometimes that means telling Luke you’re “going potty” when you’re actually just playing quietly in your room. He hasn’t caught on that an hour in the bathroom is cause for concern yet, so this should work for at least a few more months.
This year, you also:
Jumped off the diving board during swim lessons
Went to Myrtle Beach
Created a ton of awesome artwork (your drawing is getting seriously good—granted thanks largely to YouTube tutorials, but I’ll take it!)
Made me laugh constantly (that sense of humor is also really getting good, also, I suspect because of YouTube)
But the most amazing thing you did this year, as you do every year, was continue to show me what life can look like when you see it through the eyes of someone who assumes the best in everybody and wants only to contribute as much positivity and joy to the world as possible. You truly are the example by which I try to live my own life, and I love you and thank you for that more than I could ever say.
Love,
Mum
