Today is your first birthday! There are a few things I thought I should put on the table for you in the spirit of full disclosure as you get older. Since you are getting older, I too will be getting older, ergo I may not remember to tell you all of these things as we go along, so here it is, all in one spot, for your eternal reference.
As you know, you are child number five in our family. It is very likely that I will seldom address you by your legal, given name. Don’t get me wrong, I love your name (as it is I who named you). The problem is that with four other names floating around in my brain, getting your name out at the exact time I need to will be few and far in between. This may tempt you to ignore me or feign hearing loss to avoid whatever it is I am yelling at you, uh, I mean addressing you about. Not a good idea. Ask children one through four why this is not in your best interest.
You are boy number four. Whatever clever idea you have that involves destruction or mayhem, not to stifle your creativity, is not unique. More than likely it has been attempted either successfully or unsuccessfully by one of your three brothers. I realize that this may not alone deter you, as you boys seem to need to learn by experiencing it yourself, but don’t expect me to be surprised or impressed.
Speaking of brothers, here is some advice. Stick with your sister. It is the unwritten job of older brothers to torture their younger brother. Brothers one and two might be done with this by the time you are old enough to not be cute to them anymore, but brother three has taken it from both of his older brothers and he can’t wait to dole it out to you. You will be set-up, teased, tripped, and tackled, to name a few. You may think that you are a punching bag for them. Tell them someone is messing with you at school, and you will see how having three older brothers can sometimes come in handy. Otherwise, if they tell you to taste it, don’t. If they tell you to say it, especially to me or any other important adult, don’t. If they tell you it’s ok to do it, as long as I am not around, than it most definitely is not. Stand up for yourself. They will give you grief, but they will respect you for it.
You are my baby. On your 5th birthday, you are my baby. On your 18th birthday, you are my baby. I will expect you to sit on my lap and cuddle until age 14 probably, but don’t worry, I won’t make you do it when your friends are around. I will call you my baby. I will tell the other kids not to mess with the baby, even at Thanksgiving with your wife and kids at my house. Being your mother, I have that right.
When dealing with your father, here are a few tips: laugh at his jokes, no matter how corny (trust me, by age three you will find them corny but laugh anyway). If you want something, ask Dad. To ensure that he says yes, wait until he is on his phone or on the computer and ask him for the moon. He will probably say yes. Learn to like going up and down the stairs, as he will ask you to put his stuff away and get his stuff numerous times a day. Always wear your seatbelt when he is driving. Let him hug you and tickle you as long as possible. You will notice as you make friends that not many Dads take time to do that as often as your Dad does. If he says anything about me, defend me. Sons must always protect their mother’s honor. If I say anything about Dad, agree with me. It seems like a double standard, but it’s fair, trust me. As for dealing with me, that’s pretty easy. Laugh at my jokes (they are well thought- out and witty). I will make you a master at sarcasm. I will embarrass you at any and all events you are involved in, however not intentionally. No one will cheer for you louder or go for the jugular faster if anyone messes with you. Hopefully the other kids will have helped me tone that down a bit by the time it comes to you, but don’t hold your breath.
What I am trying to get across to you is that you did not get lucky enough to be born into a perfect family, nor are you royalty by any stretch of the imagination. That doesn’t mean that you are not destined for greatness. The sky is the limit for you. You will see as you get older that I have a flaw or two. News flash: You have a few yourself. Thanks to genetics, we may share a few. Learn to take advice and feedback. You have a chance to be a better person. Do it, I know you can. As for me, that ship has sailed and my flaws are pretty cemented and can only be treated by professionals with lots of letters after their name. You, on the other hand, still have a chance.
If you ever doubt it, know that you were not only wanted, but needed in our family. For the whole first year of your life, the world stopped revolving around the sun and revolved around you. Your Dad and I could not get enough of your smile, laugh, chubby cheeks, bald head and endless kisses and hugs. Your brothers and sister thought you were the cutest thing ever (they may deny this later, but again, trust me they did) and fought over holding you, making you laugh and smile, feeding you, kissing you and playing with you. We have all talked about how it seems you were meant to be with us and none of us can imagine life without you, even if it has only been a year. I am not psychic (nor am I psychotic even if your siblings try to tell you I am), but I think I know the kind of person you are just by being your mommy for the first year. You are easy going, you love to smile and laugh, you are affectionate and you are funny. You don’t like to be told what to do, like when to go to bed. You are a flirt (you have some 80-year-old girlfriends at church that fight over getting your attention). You are an entertainer. You are empathetic. You are perfect. People may challenge you on that, but tell them that your mom says you’re perfect. You may doubt yourself from time to time, but nothing is unforgivable so long as you take responsibility and show true remorse. We will always have one another to lean on and laugh with.
Happy Birthday Declan!
Love,
Your crazy family that is crazy for you!
Happy birthday to Brady Bear! Brady is our middle child. Somehow he is viewed by the rest of the kids as the "favorite." Not sure how or why. Brady is my most sensitive child. He is very empathetic and his feelings get hurt very easily. On the flip side of that he has a temper and boy, can he hold a grudge. There are no accidents in Brady's world. Everything is on purpose and with intent to hurt him. We are working on this. It causes conflicts daily with his siblings. Brady is also the one who best self-entertains. He doesn't mind engaging with others, but he is just as happy to play by himself. He is the bee's knees to his younger brother Max. Max will do any and everything Brady does to the point of annoyance for poor Brady. Max will also stick up for Brady right or wrong versus the other siblings. I feel like Brady is my most surprising child. Every time I feel like I have a handle on him or his personality, he surprises me. He is too cute though and it is too hard to stay mad at those blue eyes for too long.
For his birthday he wanted a real inflatable wrestling ring. That was the #1 gift request. That was a no. No room, no way, not gonna happen. He wanted a WWE thing-a-ma-bob from Toys R Us, which he may get with a gift card. Lastly, he wanted a bucket of teriyaki wings from Buffalo Wild Wings. He finally got his wings last night with Dad and also got his cupcake from Barnes and Noble. They had some much needed one-on-one time. On his birthday he got some NBA wrist bands and headband, a WWE brawling buddy (don't ask), and last but not least, we got him a scooter. It was no life size inflatable wrestling ring, but hey, he loved it and has loved riding it since (when the rain has permitted). He had butterscotch cake for his cake (I am forever indebted to Wendy for that recipe, it is a big-time fave among all the family members). Overall, he had a good birthday! Can't believe he is 8!
