Dear Simon,

Today you are six.

Unlike turning four or five, you've really been looking forward to turning six. A few months ago, when we spotted your six year molars pushing through, you were absolutely delighted that your body was ahead of your actual age. I know this because you shouted, "My body thinks I'm already SIX!" This desire to mature and become a little more independent from us has been a long time coming. Your desire to wash, dress, and prepare food and feed yourself has been battling it out with your desire to be our baby all year long. Earlier in the year, you expressed your anxiety about getting married or going to college. Once we assured you you could live at home, you finally relaxed. Also, Daddy told you about the endless supplies of sugary cereals in college cafeterias; now you're ready to sign up.

 
 

Your summer last year was filled with preschool in the mornings and play at home in the afternoons. On weekends we took you to the beach or to museums, theme parks, trains, boats, and other local attractions. In the evenings, we worked to convince you (and ourselves) that kindergarten was going to be GREAT! You were angry about starting a new school, you desperately missed the Feefadders, and you became convinced that eating wasn't necessary. You stopped paying attention to your teachers and occasionally refused to do what they asked. And this is why you started the school year without any ability to read or write. As one of the youngest in your class, we worried you would be left behind.

Graduation from preschool
 
Boat tour under the Golden Gate
 
The Mystery Spot, Santa Cruz

On your first day of school, Daddy and Adlai took you to Burger King for lunch, I came home from work, realized that you had spilled ketchup all over your shirt and were wearing your shorts on backwards, helped you quickly change and, together, we walked into your new classroom to drop you off. Three and a half tense hours later, we picked up a very happy boy. You love school. You love your teacher. You love your principal. You love everything about learning. What a relief!

 
 

It is hard to believe how far you have come. You can write your own stories in complete sentences. You can read books to us. You draw yourself as something other than a stick with dots for eyes and a line for a mouth. Daddy has moved you past addition and subtraction and gone right to algebra. When we were in Ohio last month, you delighted at your cousin Sarah's quizzing you about science. She asked you about atoms, matter, the solar system, and weather and you answered each question with authority. Those thirty minutes with Sarah probably increased your confidence in yourself one hundred fold.

Silly in the backyard
 
Rocket launching at NASA
 
Experiments at the Tech Museum

You absolutely love science: chemistry, astronomy, biology, electrical, or atmospheric. Given the opportunity to watch a cartoon or a video lecture on the solar system or how something works, you will always choose the educational option. Last fall, on our trip to Disneyland, you insisted we throw coins into the wishing well at Toon Town and you took a moment, closed your eyes and wished with all your heart to become "a famous scientist." And then you wished it a second time and a third in case the well didn't quite hear you.

Wishing into the fountain
 
Chemistry for Christmas
 
Experiments with cloning

This year has been a big year for travel. In August we spent some time with Grandma Whee in New York celebrating her birthday followed by our annual trip to Cape Cod. In November, we treated you to a surprise weekend in Disneyland. We picked you up from school and drove for two hours before you finally asked where we were going. We flew to Houston in January to visit your Oma and Aunt Jackie, Oahu in February to celebrate Spring break with your Kagle cousins and the Feefadders, and Ohio in May to bury Grandpa Ewing.

Grandma Whee's birthday
 
Relaxing in Cape Cod
 
Where are we going?
 
Happy in Disneyland
 
Three generations outside Houston
 
Three generations in Mountain View
 
Kagle Cousins in Hawaii
 
Kagle Cousins in Hawaii

I can't thank you enough for being such a wonderful travel companion. I feel like I can take you anywhere and you'll be my little ambassador. Whereever we go, strangers are impressed with your incredible kindness and good behavior. While in Ohio, you enthusiastically volunteered to bury your Grandpa Ewing. After filling the hole with dirt, you went back to the van and cried because you were sad that he was gone. (Even though I'm pretty sure you don't remember meeting him.)

 
 

You can't wait until Adlai is old enough to play with "like a five year old" but that hasn't stopped you from engaging him with play at any level possible. You are patient and understanding and rarely get upset when Adlai destroys your creations or runs off with your toys. You've mostly figured out what sets Adlai off into a tantrum and you always attempt to make him feel better. If he cries because he doesn't have the same thing you have, you offer to share whatever the object is just to make him happy. The two of you particularly enjoy running around the house or yard or coming up with new dance moves. You love when Adlai copies your words and moves. It makes you laugh which makes him laugh which makes you laugh even harder.

Hiller Aviation Museum
 
 
You asked: "Adlai, do you want to hold my thumb?" Adlai said: "Thank you!"

You are a champion of goodness and happiness and nothing makes you more upset than seeing one of your friends in trouble. You were given the Principal's award this year for Citizenship in part because you were so nice to a new boy in your class on his first few days. We've also heard from another family that you skipped recess to sit next to their boy when he was forced to skip recess as a punishment. You are shocked when people are mean to each other or lie to their parents or do "something bad" on purpose. You won't watch shows or read books in which characters get into trouble. When Adlai requests that I read a Curious George books you run from the room, hands over your ears.

 
 
 

You listen with rapt attention when your Dad talks about science, video games, and his life experiences. You're pretty sure that I know nothing important, but you love me anyway. I'm good for snuggling and am probably more likely to give you what you want.

Winner of the cake walk AND the "grassiest" cake!
 
Earth Day park cleanup with your class.

Although in this past year you've conquered your fears of being suffocated by helmets, life vests, goggles, and deep water, you're now afraid of having anything in your mouth with the wrong texture. You have learned to spit the food out into a napkin but, seriously, the amount of food you need to spit out makes this an obnoxious habit that you need to overcome.

 
Your kindergarten class

You are a social creature and without social interaction, particularly new social interactions, you are easily bored. In January, we started a weekly movie night to help rectify this problem. We invite one or two of your friends families and you kids play, eat, and watch a movie while we adults take time to catch up and relax. We also try to break up the mundane by celebrating: Fourth of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Years, Valentine's, St. Pat's, Passover, Easter, birthdays, loose and lost teeth, and school events, we hit them all. We prepare. We enjoy. It gives us something to do. Last fall we even celebrated the birthday of Balcony, your stuffed kitten.

Halloween (You're Ben 10)
 
Hanukkah
 
Christmas
 
New Years Eve
 
Valentine's Day
 
Passover (reading the four questions)
 
Balcony's birthday

You've been playing soccer since Winter, which you actually enjoy, and you still take swim lessons once a week. You can freestyle yourself across a pool and swim to the bottom of the shallow end like a catfish searching for a meal. I love to watch you swim. The teachers say you will be promoted to the next class - swimming alone in the deep end - as soon as you realize that you ARE, IN FACT, SWIMMING. Confidence, my boy, we need to work on that.

 

Since you have been old enough to express yourself, the one object you've wanted most has been a cat. When you were two you collected stuffed cats and carried them whereever you went, when you were three you pretended to be a cat, when you were four you drew Daddy a card asking for a cat. Just over a week ago, and after a painfully long wait, we brought two cats into the family. You play with them, you talk with them, you love them and your laughter at watching them, well, it's contagious...

They make you deliriously happy. You make us deliriously happy. I guess it all works out.

 
 

Happy Birthday!

Love,

Mama (and Daddy and Adlai too)