Dear Tyrus,

How could it be that my little guy is 5 years old today? 5 years old! It blows my mind to think about how fast the last 5 years have gone by. When I stop and think about the details of your life so far I realize that you have experienced so much. But, I can easily close my eyes and remember the day you were born like it was yesterday. At 6:19 in the morning, 5 years ago, your Daddy and I heard the sweetest, softest little cry. It was you. You were here and you were healthy. That was the beginning.

Just for fun I looked at the blog and read the letter that I wrote you when you turned 4. It said…

“Tyrus, I hope as you age you keep curiosity for life and everything in it. You ask a million questions a day looking for answers to why things are the way they are. I hope you always want to know. I hope you keep your sense of humor. Your Dada and I crack up at you every day. Whether it is a funny joke that you make up yourself or a secret way that you try to negotiate what you want.”

You are still so curious about everything. I think this is my favorite thing about you. You still ask a million questions a day wanting to know exactly why things are they way they are. In fact, your questions have stumped me sometimes and I’ve had to take you to YouTube to find the answer. Almost every night we will sit in front of the computer and watch a video that will help explain something to you better than I can. I think you and Mary would sit there all day telling me what to look for on the computer. For example, your favorite movie right now is Titanic. You asked me to record it and have watched it over and over and over again (the appropriate parts). You finally started asking questions about the boat and the people and you and I had a deep conversation about life and heaven and accidents, etc. You couldn’t grasp that there would be a real boat sitting on the bottom of the ocean. So, I took you to YouTube and we watched videos of the real Titanic sitting on the bottom of the ocean. You asked where all the people went. It was a pretty deep conversation, but those have become more common these days with you.

This year you ventured into the sports world and you ABSOLUTELY HATED IT!! We put you in T-Ball and Soccer and both were pretty miserable for all of us. Soccer was a little more enjoyable, but you still say you will never play it again. You have even told Mom to tell your Mama that you do not want to play sports anymore. Every now and then I’ll ask you if you want to play football or baseball. The other day when I asked you your response was, “No, I want to read books and be really smart.” J

I know you will be really smart because you already are. You are learning how to read! Also, your memory is amazing. Right now you can read to us a Toy Story 3 book that you memorized after only having it for a week. Your Daddy was so impressed when you read it to him that he promised you a trip to Toys R Us!

Something else that is new this year is school. You went to school this year at Ebenezer United Methodist Church in Conyers. I don’t think you realized just how much work school is until a little ways into the school year. You learned so much! You have this strange thing about you where you like to pretend that you don’t know how to do something even if you do. I don’t understand it and we have butted heads many many times over it. It is frustrating to me when I know you know something and you won’t show me! When I met with your teacher half way through the year I left pretty convinced that we would hold you back for another year of preschool. But, when I went in for your final evaluation you had shown her how much you knew and how much you had learned. She was very happy with your progress and we decided that you would venture forward to Kindergarten. It must be said that your Daddy was totally against me holding you back. He was always convinced that you could handle Kindergarten. I guess we will hear about Kindergarten in your sixth birthday letter!

You are still a very good big brother to Mary – even though she tests you every day! The two of you have really become close in the last year and will carry on conversations that Daddy and I can hear from the other room. You get into trouble together too! Sometimes you like to tell Mary to do something that you know is wrong because, I guess, you think it is better for her to get in trouble.

You have become a little arguer this year! You always have a reason and an argument as to why you did something. I told you the other day that you should be a lawyer when you grow up because you love to argue! I know exactly who you get that from! The funny thing is that you are really clever with your reasons. Sometimes, even when I’m mad at you, I giggle at your reasoning skills.

I really could write 20 more pages about all that you’ve accomplished this year or how much you’ve changed and grown. It makes me really sad to think about how fast you are growing up, but then I see a picture of you or I remember something that you said and I smile because I am so SO proud of the little man that you are becoming right before our eyes.

Tyrus, I worry every single day if I showed you enough love that day. I am constantly asking myself if I was too hard on you and I am always putting myself down thinking I should have done things differently when you and Mary argued. I replay the day’s events in my head and just hope and pray that you realize how special you are to me. You are my entire world. You, Daddy, and Mary are everything. My breath, my soul, everything. I hope that everything I do, even though not at the moment sometimes, ultimately helps you to realize that.

Daddy and I are so lucky to have you as our son Tyrus. We are so proud of you and amazed by you.

Happy Birthday sweet baby boy!

I love you,

Mama