Happy 6th Birthday Lewie!

Dear Lewie,

Today you officially turn six.  We celebrated your birthday a bit early this year (since we couldn't reserve the Veteran's Memorial Park Pavilion for a weekend in August), but you certainly didn't mind.  All your friends, family, and even two teachers were at the party, so you were in your glory. 

Still, your original request was to celebrate your birthday at the Danbury Railway Museum and the Shoreline Trolley Museum. So, we promised you that while your "big" party would be at the park, we would have a smaller party on your real birthday at your beloved museums.  Thus, on Saturday, Daddy took you to the Danbury Railway Museum (we have season passes) and on Sunday--Mommy, Daddy, Grammy, and Aunty Kiki celebrated your big day at the Shoreline Trolley Museum with lunch at Nellie Greens.

Aunty Kiki, Mommy, and you waiting for lunch...

You and Daddy checking out the marina

You and Grammy

Your birthday surprise - a flourless chocolate cake

Checking out exhibits at the Trolley Muesum

Daddy pretending to push a trolley

The three of us waiting for our trolley ride...

You pretending to fix trolleys in the train yard...

Lewie, each year I become more and more impressed by you and amazed at the person you're becoming.  You are sweet, sensitive, friendly, smart, and good natured.  You love being the "funny guy," and will do just about anything to make us and your little friends laugh.  Still, you have a big heart, and you never say a mean thing to anyone.  In your mind, everyone is your friend, and everyone is worth saying "hello" to, no matter their age. 

Just recently, you've learned the fine art of manners, and everyone, including your teachers, seem to be in awe of your maturity.  You tell people to "Have a good day," or "Have a nice summer," you hold doors for girls, politely saying "Ladies first," and you never chew with your mouth full.  Even more, you greet everyone, especially your teachers, with big hugs, and you're always thinking about what will "make their day."  On one particular morning, I dropped you off at summer camp, only to find that a little boy couldn't wait to give you a hug.  Then, all of a sudden, all of your little friends (I think there were eight in total) decided to stop their play and give you hugs.  It was amazing to watch, and I just wanted to "bottle up" that moment forever.

I am ever-so-thankful, that even at age six, the most important people in your life are still Mommy and Daddy.  If given the chance, you would prefer to spend a day with us instead of going to school or summer camp, and every day that we drop you off, you still ask if we can pick you up early and smother us with farewell hugs and kisses.  "Just one more hug," you'll request as I start walking for the exit.  "Of course," I'll answer, delighted to know that I'm still your "number one."

Lately, even on play dates, you request that I be part of the action.  Twenty-four seven I am requested to play tag, to jump on the trampoline, to push you on the swing, to watch a movie, to swim, to run next to you on your bike, or to play a game with you.  At times, your requests can be tiring, but recently a parent reminded me how lucky I am... "I think it's so sweet that he wants to spend time with you.  Now that I have two, my children have each other, and I often feel left out of the mix."  Another parent of an only child, echoed the same sentiment:  "You're lucky that he wants to play with you.  My son seems to be bored with me. I think he's starting to show more interest in his daddy."

Lewie, I LOVE that at this age, I can still see the little toddler in you.  There are times that you still ask us to carry, cuddle, and sleep with you, and although we are constantly reminded at school to teach you "self-help" skills, I am reluctant to make you grow up too fast.  What's the harm in carrying you to bed or pushing you on the swing?  At first I thought it was a sign that you were being lazy, but now I realize it's your way of wanting to still stay close to us.  "If you don't push me on the swing, then who will I have to talk to?" you ask me tearfully.  "I don't want to be by myself."

Still, for the "toddler" I see in you, there is also a little boy that is emerging ever so quickly.  At the beginning of age five, you were playing with your wooden trains.  Now they have taken a back seat to your Lionel Polar Express Train, your Thomas Trackmaster trains, and even more recently, your Lego trains.  More and more, you have an interest in building, and electronics seems to come naturally for you.  When your first Lego train set arrived, you immediately wanted to see the "receiver," and before building the actual train, you already had your own version hooked up and going around and around in circles on your train track.  "Did you teach him how to put this together?" I asked your Daddy.  "No.  I only put in the batteries.  He did the rest," Daddy replied.

Your favorite past-time (gulp) is watching "YouTube" videos.  When you first turned five, you wanted to see train pictures on the Internet, and so we looked up pictures through Google Images and saved them to the desktop.  A few months later, you watched your first train video on YouTube, and you were hooked.  Today, you enjoy learning about Lionel trains from ericstrains.com, watching silly Thomas the Trainmaster episodes from "Ramahfool Productions," and watching Lego videos of Chase McCain.  You have also developed an interest in "crashing," and so on a weekly, if not daily, basis you are asking me to type in "Lego trains crashing into...water, each other, off bridges, etc."  I've been assured by Daddy that watching Lego trains crash is a very healthy "boy thing."

Now I often see you pretending like you're creating your own YouTube videos.  You'll sit in the living room for hours talking to a pretend audience about your trains.  Like ericstrains.com, you will tell us about the features of your Lionel Polar Express or your Thomas Trackmaster train and then do a demonstration of how it runs.  You never forget at the end of your video to say..."If you'd like to learn more about this train, go to Lewie's trains dot com." 

Lewie, I suppose I can go on and on about your antics this year and the many reasons why I both love you and am proud of you.  You are growing up so fast, and yet, you still, at the moment, want to spend every waking hour with us.  What a gift!  I hope you know that I'll always be your number one fan. It is a joy to watch you grow up, and I am grateful for every new day that you greet me in your happy, chipper voice, "Good morning, Mommy!"  I feel truly blessed.

I love you forever and ever and always.

Mommy