Super Silly Sam Turns Seven

To my Super Silly Sam (love your superhero name, by the way.  It fits you.),

I hope you had a great birthday.  I had a great day seeing your crooked tooth grin in place for most of the day.  From your scrambled eggs with cheese and ham request for breakfast (it's my favorite too.  When you're a grown-up, you may prefer it my way with onions and peppers, but I'm happy to wait for you to enjoy their deliciousness) to your "I'm going to wear sweats to school because they are the most comortable" attitude, you seem to already understand the delicate balance between having it your way on your birthday, an idea I wholeheartedly espouse, and not being a diva about it, ruining the fun for everyone else.  We all had a great day because you let us celebrate with you!

You looked smashing in your favorite tiger shirt.  Orange is one of my favorite colors too, I think because it looks good with our brown eyes.  Secretly, I was glad you chose to go to school, although I certainly think that if it's your birthday, you shouldn't have to, because it gave me the time I needed to get some things done. But, I wouldn't have minded having you around.  You are such an easy boy to be with.  Still, I understand the pull of celebrating at school.  We summer birthday people never got the school treats or the balloons that attract kids like moths to a flame.  You were certainly a star today and even your teacher said it was fun to see you relaxed and even hyper for a change (although I appreciated her telling me it was "a change" and you don't always dance around the classroom like that).

A stroke of luck made your brand new glasses arrive on your birthday so going to pick them up and have them adjusted to your face seemed like a present instead of the tedious chore it usually is.  I love the black X-Games frames you chose.  You look so handsome.  And the sports goggles?   You look just like your Uncle Clark, your buddy.  You asked if kids would make fun of you, but your older brother promptly squashed those fears with his, "You look like a rock star!" statement as soon as we picked him up from chess club.  I have such great kids and I'm so glad you are friends with your brothers.

It goes without saying that you didn't have to do homework today.  While I would have let you skip it (heck...I would have encouraged you to skip it!) it made me smile to see you work hard yesterday to finish your entire week's worth of homework so that you wouldn't have anything hanging over your head today.  We'll probably pay for skipping piano practice today, since I'm not sure you really understand the rhythm of your new piece, but it's only your birthday once a year.  We'll practice extra hard this next week.  I hope you had fun playing those video games.  What am I saying?  I know you had fun.  I don't understand how, because it looks so boring to me, but am still happy if you are happy.

Rrec center basketball is the new thorn in my side, but you absolutely love it!  Dad graciously took you to spare me from watching another agonizing hour of 1st and 2nd graders scrimmaging, but think it's hilarious that you were on the "skins" team.  Especially your reasoning when you got home as to why you pulled your shorts up so high.  I don't want people seeing my underwear either.

Pizza and spice cake were your two requests, so that's what we had.  Your newly acquired focus to be gluten-free has been more of a challenge than I thought it would be, considering I've had three years to practice on dad, but it's different for you.  Dad doesn't request pizza, for one thing.  I'm sorry the crust wasn't very good, but you didn't complain.  But, since I had it too, I know it wasn't very good.  You must really feel better to accept eating cardboard like that.

The spice cake was an excellent choice.  How funny to have a little boy who chooses spice cake with cream cheese frosting!  It's really one of my favorites though, so, thanks for having good taste in desserts.  It totally made up for the lame pizza.

You really are special, Sam.  You have a warm, loving spirit that lifts me up.  Even if I weren't your mother, I'd want to know you - spend time with you.  You are funny and have interesting thoughts.  You are both a flexible younger brother and a patient older brother.  I know we'd have a lot more obvious bumps in our road if it wasn't for you  out there, constantly smoothing things over for everyone.

You are super.  You are sometimes very silly.  You are spectacular at seven.

You are Sam.

I love, love, love you, birthday boy.

Mom