Hellobee

I wrote this post on the night of my boys’ birthday way back in July.  It took me this long to actually get my some pictures and get it posted. I don’t know how time seems to keep getting away from me, but I blinked and it is already October.

My Dear Boys,

Today you turned five.  As you were playing this evening, I asked your father if you looked older to him. For some reason today it just hit me. You look older. You act older. Your face is more like a young boy and less like the babies I so vividly remembering cuddling five years ago.

This past year seems to have flown by. I can’t believe it was a year ago that we were sending you off to preschool. You were so excited with your backpack that seemed bigger than you and your lunch box packed with all the love I could send with you. Your teachers raved about how polite and caring you were. Your mama was proud of you every step of the way. I couldn’t help but shed some tears as I watched you both sing your hearts out at the holiday show or at your end of the year concert. Your teachers cried when they said good bye to you on your last day because they said you were some of the nicest boys they have had in their class. It doesn’t get much better for a mom to hear something like that.  Now you are off to kindergarten and I can hardly wrap my mind around it.

Not everyone is blessed with a twin in their life. You two truly have something special.

You both learned how to ride your two wheelers without your training wheels, which definitely brought some more tears to my eyes. (Your dad loves to tease me about how easy I cry but I don’t care. I cry big mommy tears of love). How can my little boys be riding their big boy bikes? You learned how to write your name, recognize all your letters, and draw funny looking little stick figures. I loved the cards you made me with little drawings of us that looked like little floating heads with legs. I saved them in a little box and I will cherish them forever.

You grew out of your toddler beds and were upgraded to bunk beds. I was so afraid when we first put them in. but you have shown me that you can handle big changes like this. Sure you come out of your room every ten seconds with some random excuse to prolong your inevitable bed time, but you never horse around, wrestle, or jump on them, which makes me so happy. I still can’t believe your room has become this big boy space instead of a little toddler’s room.

I was truly not ready for this but here we are in big boy bunk beds.

Today I let you pick what we were going to do for the day, and you decided to have a train day. So off we went to Travel town. We have been there so many times but still you love to run around the old trains and climb into all the old cars. You still love to ride on the little train that goes around the park. Some day your legs will be so long they won’t fit in the little train car, and some day these old rusty trains won’t hold the same magic that they do today. So today I enjoyed watching your bright eyes as you ran around the train yard. After Travel town, it seemed only fitting that we eat lunch at Carney’s. What better way to have a meal than on an old train car. It is the only option for you two after playing on the trains all morning. Your Papa came with us on your birthday adventure and decided to surprise you with a trip to a soda and candy shop where you could pick out a treat. When we got home you were so excited you told your dad all about your fantastic birthday outing.

Watching you two together is so much fun. It makes all those sleepless nights for the first year totally worth it.

Joe you are my little snuggle bug. Every night you say “mama, snuggles this day?” And I can’t help but say yes and lay down beside you for a minute or two. Your smile lights up my day. I told you once that you laugh like Goofy (just like your mama) and that I loved it. The next time we went to Disneyland all you wanted was stuff with Goofy on it since I loved your goofy laugh. You are very caring and thoughtful  Today you wanted to make sure that we brought a special soda home for Daddy since he had to work and couldn’t be with us on our birthday outing. You are easy going and lighthearted. You find so much joy in the things around you and I hope that never stops.

No matter how old you get I hope you still love to swing.

Nick, you are energetic and loving. In the evenings for story time you like to climb in between the arm of the couch and my body. When you wiggle in between, you smile and say, “I like to find the good squishy spots.” It absolutely melts my heart. I will always remember your handsome smile and your sly little giggle as you sneak into your squishy spot. You are always the first one to offer help or try to comfort someone who is sad. Being able to see how empathetic and truly kind you are makes me so proud I can hardly stand it.

My little Nick, I hope you never lose that clever little look in your eyes.

My boys, I love you with all my heart.  One of my biggest joys is watching you grow and explore this world and this year was full of changes.  I don’t know what this next year will bring but I know it will be packed with adventures.  Happy Birthday Boys.