Dear Kirby,
Well, it’s 3 months past your birthday & I’m finally sitting down to write your birthday letter. Sometimes I feel like you get the short end of the stick in some things with your birthday when it is. By the time your day comes around I’ve planned 2 other parties, plus the busyness of Christmas & we’re all in “chill” mode. It sure doesn’t mean we love you any less though! I can’t believe you’re already 5!! It’s been so fun to see you grow into the boy God created you to be!
There have been a number of firsts for you this year. This was the first year you played hockey. You absolutely loved it & would have lived at the rink if we’d let youJ. Now that spring is here, you’re THRILLED to be playing soccer alongside Manda & Benj. I love the way to get in there & play with everything you’ve got. You sure do “leave it all on the ice” (or fieldJ).
You continue to be the “fireball” in our family. That word popped into my head, but I thought maybe I had the wrong word. Well I looked it up & it explains you very wellJ. The definitions I found gave three characteristics of a “fireball”. A person with a fiery temper. A person with a great deal of energy. An exceptionally ambitious person. Oh yes, that’s our Kirby alright!
Daddy & I have always said that you’ve had a temper from the moment you were born...you came out screaming...but not just any scream...a ticked off, what do you think you’re doing to me, kind of screamJ. This last year you have grown up so much though. You have been working so hard to learn good ways to get rid of your anger & express yourself & you’ve gotten so much better at it!!!
You have more energy than pretty much anyone else I know. Some days I catch myself telling you to just stop. Then I realize that there’s nothing wrong with what you’re doing. I just don’t have the energy to keep up. You are up, pretty much without fail, between 7 & 7:30 every morning...and I mean UP...cheerful, ready to eat breakfast RIGHT NOW & then start doing something...anything! I wish I could learn that from youJ. It’s nice for me though...makes it hard to wake up grumpy when you’re there to give me such a cheerful hug.
When you set your mind to something, it is pretty much guaranteed that you will do it. About a year ago now we read a series of books called “Heroes for Young Readers”. Each book emphasized a certain character trait & we would do lots of activities based around that. One of the books was about Gladys Alyward. Her character trait was perseverance. Ever since then, if something is tough you’ll come & tell me that you’re going to keep trying. “Do you know why Mommy?” “Why?” “Cause that’s per-sev-erance!” It was so cute to hear you say it a year ago because you had to concentrate hard to say it right. Now you say that big word no problem. It’s so true though. Sometimes your perseverance can get you into troubleJ. Like when Mommy or Daddy asks you to do something & you don’t want to. Most of the time though, your perseverance is so fun to watch played out. It’s how you learned to skate so quickly. And how you keep up with Benjamin even though he’s so much bigger than you. And how you learned to ride a two-wheeler last summer. And how you’re learning to live your life in a way that makes God happy.
Speaking of that. You have continually blown me away with the things you will come up to me & say...most often completely out of the blue. I’m kicking myself now for not writing them all down. There are so many. It’s just so fun how God allows me to see some of the ways that He’s working in your heart...that something we talked about actually stuck...a completely random though of your own...or a question so deep I didn’t know you would think such a thing. I love getting those peeks into your heart & I’m going to work at writing them downJ.
We’re so proud of you Kirby. Daddy & I have noticed so many ways that you’ve been learning & growing...and we know it’s not an accident! God is working on you...and you’re doing your best to follow Him!
We love you Kirby!!! Happy 5th Birthday!!!
Mommy & Daddy
2 comments:
AHhhhh I think this is just so sweet how you write such heartfelt letters to your kids each year. A precious memory for them.
Very sweet, thanks for sharing. :) I do something similar with my kids as well. I keep journals for them and write in them at intervals. My answer to a baby book, I guess. :)
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