Five Years & Two Days Ago My Baby Boy Was Born

So I missed my 'today is my boy's birthday' moment...but it's been a busy week and I've been a wee bit under the weather. But regardless, I wanted to shout out to those three readers out there that 'HOLY SHIT, I HAVE A FIVE YEAR OLD CHILD!'

Where have the years gone, for real? Can he really be five already? Bless this sweet little soul of fiveness...he had quite the birthday extravaganza with a special, impromptu visit from his 'Mama,' Grandma T from Plano. We were thrilled to see his interest in the tower of presents he awoke to, all wrapped up in 'Cars' wrapping paper. He kept looking at those gifts on the dining table saying 'Hudson? Hudson?' (as in Doc Hudson) And he actually helped a little in the unwrapping process, which was a thrill to see.
Later in the day we drove down to Felton (south of Santa Cruz) to Roaring Camp where we rode an old-timey steam engine train up into the redwoods. He loved it! We got home and had birthday cake and Happy Birthday singing. (M's favorite thing, though he'd prefer to say it, "Appo boatday.") And you know what? Gluten-free, casein-free chocolate cake doesn't have to be really gross, and it fact it tasted pretty good, though I admit my frosting skills left a little to be desired. We still have not witnessed the long awaited candle blowout, but when we finally do, let me tell you there will be tears shed! (Parents of children with special needs can relate to the fact that you learn to not take the seemingly simplest of abilities for granted. It is one of the gifts of this journey we are given)
Then, the following day, it was like birthday celebrating all over again as we joined the other half at Great America for an afternoon of rides. M was in hog heaven going round and round on whatever you put him on. It was like a sensory system smorgasbord! (Does that word remind anyone of else of Miss Piggy? I haven't the slightest idea why it did me. Perhaps it was the fact that smorgasbords of my youth were of the South Carolina variety where a giant pig was roasted. Hmmm? Points to ponder...)

Uh, okay...I got a little off track there with the Miss Piggy thing. Sorry about that.

So all in all, I think M really got it a bit more this year, which was wonderful to witness. It is a hard to explain to others how it feels to have a child who is supposed to be of the age to enter kindergarten yet you can't actually guage what they can and cannot understand. But M gives us little glimpses into his insight on occasion that we cherish, analzye and sometimes break our hearts over. For example, the night before his birthday, the other half again reminded him that the next day would be his big day, etc., etc. To which M looked at him and said, 'Then where are all my friends, Cory?' Cory is M's very best friend in the whole wide world, but he also lives back in Texas. You can imagine how heartbreaking it was to hear him say this. And yet, as much as this made me wish that my little boy had a million Corys here who I could invite over for a birthday party, hearing that he'd said this also made me somewhat happy because it means that cognitively he is growing and starting to understand the world in which he lives. There is a light in there. We just have to continue to try and figure out how to make it burn brighter. And with that, I raise a glass in toast to my little boy, my monkey man, my firstborn. To M...you are loved so very much. Happy birthday, little man.