Holden turns 4!

To my Holden on his 4th birthday,

You woke up to a brand-new bike this morning. Smiling ear to ear, you hopped right on and rode that bike around the living room. But after about 20 seconds, you stopped. You got off the bike with a concerned look on your face; you then asked us if Scarlett could get a present, too. It’s your birthday, buddy…YOUR special day. But you’ve got so much kindness in that little heart of yours that you can’t bear to enjoy that specialness alone.

I don’t know how you’re mine. Honestly. You’re this hilarious little hunk of a boy that garners the heart of everyone he meets. To know you is to love you, buddy. We even find it hard not to laugh when you get in trouble, sometimes. It’s hard not to smirk when we find out you hit a fellow classmate with a toilet plunger, or you got kicked out of your dance class for 5 minutes because you told a little girl you weren’t going to marry her when she asked you.

What is it about turning 4? I feel like I put you to bed as a baby one night, and you woke up a kid. And what a kid you are. You have this vocabulary that blows people away and I often hear you explaining words to your sister, like what a skyscraper is. Or knuckles. You wake up in a fantastic mood every morning. You have absolutely no self control when it comes to candy. But you know this; you’ll apologize for eating a piece of candy that you weren’t supposed to eat before you’ve even finished chewing. You run everywhere; you never walk. I think it takes you longer to pick out a toy at Toys R Us than it took your father and me to pick out the house we live in. You sign your name as “HOL” and we can’t, for the life of us, get you to show any interest in “DEN.” You stick your tongue out whenever you’re concentrating really hard.

One of the first things I remember my mother telling me about being a parent is how horrible I behaved when it was my sister’s birthday. There are pictures of ME at 4 years old with a big puss on my face while my sister was opening her presents. And then there’s you – taking a time out from your celebration to make sure your sister was enjoying herself. I wish I could go back. I wish I could get a do-over. I seriously want to be as cool as you are. You’re the pulse that this family needs…you're like a drum baby. Don’t stop beating. And our hearts will never stop beating for you.

Happy birthday, Bubba.