Today you are one inquisitive kid. You love knowing how things work, ask endless questions about "why" and "how" and love to interrupt us with "wait a minute, wait a minute...." when you need to clarify something you've heard. We swear your brain is working a mile a minute absorbing everything and it takes you quite a while to fall asleep at night because you just can't relax and let your thoughts go.
Today you are as playful as they come. You love to run around and chase, dance, sing, and be silly. You like to make up new rules to games - always calculating and making sure things will end up in your favor, even if it's not quite fair. Nothing makes you happier than getting to spend time with your friends, and you can talk all day long and never run out of words.
Today you are cautious about new things but getting braver by the day. You still prefer to watch others try first to see how things will go and need lots of encouragement if you think something might be hard or scary. You conquered your fear of water this year and are growing stronger and stronger as a swimmer. You love to dive down to the bottom of the pool to retrieve objects, jump in the deep end, get thrown in the air to make a big splash, and try to knock people off pool floats.
Today you are a kindergarten graduate, who ended the school year virtually and is so excited for first grade. You still dislike writing and coloring but you love math and science, especially anything having to do with space. You are now a tiger scout who's made so many new friends, tried so many new outdoors things, and become an expert at camping. You sleep better in a tent than you do at home! We've diagnosed attention issues this year and we can't wait to see how much you grown when you are able to give proper focus.
Today you are a lover of loungewear, only wanting comfy pants or shorts without buttons. You like socks but never want to wear shoes, preferring to wear flip flops for all occasions like the Florida boy that you are. You'll stay in your pajamas all day if we let you and you love to cuddle in on the couch or bed and watch a movie together. Your lion sleeping bag and shark tail blanket can usually be found on our couch with you snuggled up inside.
Today you are obsessed with bad guys, even preferring music and stories that feature them. Bad Guy by Billie Eilish and Circles by Post Malone are a few of your faves, as well as quite a few Lady Gaga tracks like Telephone and Bad Romance. You love to listen to us read you kids comic books, the Bad Guys and Dog Man Series are your favorites.
Today you are on your way to being a professional gamer who is beyond competent at all things Nintendo Switch. You've grown to love hockey this year after attending your first and second NHL games and think you might want to be a hockey player when you grown up. You'd also like to be an astronaut - you've been watching rapt attention every time Florida sends up another shuttle. And it none of those work out, then you'd like to be a fireman who works at Uncle Joe's fire station.
Today your appetite is on the decline thanks to your new medicine, and you frequently skip lunch, but you still love all your old favorites - pizza, bacon, popcorn, mozzarella sticks, donuts. You are slowly getting better about eating new foods especially if we mix them in with favorites. You love to wait until bedtime and then tell us you are still hungry.
You survived another hurricane this year - Dorian, as well as COVID-19 and three months of quarantine and virtual school. You've continued to be quite the little traveler - making trips to Atlantic City, Detroit, Long Boat Key, Nashville and up next - Seattle. You are the chillest traveler ever, and we've got flying together down to a science. You gained a new baby cousin Silas this year, as well as a new Uncle Vince.
Today we love you more than we ever thought we could.
Today you are SIX.