Gabriel's 6th Birthday!

"The earth goes around the sun, the sun.  The earth goes around the sun.  It take 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days".  Mrs. Kirbawy's class sings this song for each year of the birthday kid's life.  She follows the child around the sun and shows a picture of the child to represent that year.  After holding the earth and walking around the sun 6 times, Gabriel blew out the sun cancel, and all is right with the world.  If that doesn't scream PNW, I don't know what does, and I love it!

Sweet Boy,

What an exciting time of the year for you; back to school, fall soccer, AND your birthday!  After one of your Saturday soccer games, we invited the team and some close friends over for a sweet and simple party.  The soccer game clearly didn't wear anyone out.  You all continued to play soccer, hide-and-seek, and swing in the hammock in the backyard followed by some hamburgers, hotdogs, soccer ball cupcakes (even the first of many gluten-free options for friends) and ice-cream.  You are finding your place here in Tacoma, and I love watching your friendships bloom.

Your favorite color is green, superheros are still legit, and melting beads have become your favorite form of art!  You are such a great eater (at least compared to me when I was a kid).  Your favorites include hummus, turkey, and cheese, but you have quite the little sweet-tooth as well.  Your favorite book is If I Built a House, and you want to be an architect when you grown up.  We probably have our dear friend, Joe, to thank for that, as you were amazed to see how he designed and built his own cabin here in WA.

Gabriel, it has been a hard transition for you moving to a new country in the middle of the school year, but you are rising to the challenge with the persistence of a go-getter!  Having the same teacher, Mrs, Kirbawy, for half of pre K and K is a gift of stability where you feel loved and understood.  She lets you run laps to get your wiggles out and encourages you to choose challenging work in a Montessori classroom.  It takes a village to raise a child, and we are thankful for the village we've found here in Tacoma.

Your daddy and I are discovering that you are quite the interesting combination of the two of us with your own individual flare.  Remember, we are growing as parents as you grow as a child, and we learn so much from you each year.  As a parent, this experience is beyond fascinating, and each year brings such raw joy and pain that is impossible to describe.  You too seem to experience these emotions intensely.  It is a beautiful thing to live life so fully, but I am personally challenged to find a way to naviagte through these powerful feelings, nevertheless guide my own child through this journey.  We're in this together, and I could not be more grateful!

Sweetness, I am so proud to be your mommy.  I pray you grow to be a strong man of God: strong in your mind, body, heart, and spirit.

I Love You,

Mommy