Dear Liam

This week we celebrated your graduation from The Children's Garden Nursery School.  Your first school graduation of many in the years to come.  But not your first "graduation".... you have already graduated from  rolling, to crawling, to toddling, to walking, to running at full speed.  From watching the world, to participating in it with eyes wide open.  From babbling, to talking in full sentences (non stop I might add! lol).  From relying on me for all of your nutrition, to making up your own mind about what you do and do NOT want to eat. 

As you graduated from Preschool 

 

 Last September.  You have already grown so much!

Lately I have been more of a sap than usual.  Every night before I climb into bed myself, I tiptoe into your room to make sure that you are all tucked in and not sleeping half on and half off the bed (which is often the case).  I find myself taking my time lately.  Watching how peaceful you are as you dream, and wiping that little piece of hair off your forehead that I love so much.  When we first moved you into your "big boy bed,"  you seemed so tiny.  Now you seem to fill up the space.  When did that happen?  I wish I could bottle up moments in time so that I could always remember things exactly as they are.  Remember you exactly as you are right now.

You had that little piece of hair even then!

You are just....awesome!! And amazing!!! I love the way that you attack the world each day.  Like there are SO many things to see and do that you have to get started right away.  There is nothing better than your smile and laugh each morning to get me up and going too.  You are so much fun to be around.  People comment on this all the time.  You just have this infectious way about you...people want to make you laugh and smile because it makes them laugh and smile too.  You love your morning cartoons, and Eggos with fruit on them.  You love to be outside.  You could probably stay out there 24/7 if we let you, and be quite content.

  
You are finally able to reach the peddles on your bicycle, so you love to go for bike rides around our neighborhood.  You are SO fast though!  I can't imagine how you would be without your training wheels.  I probably wouldn't be able to keep up any longer!  Actually, you are pretty much fast at everything you do.  It is very rare to find you walking somewhere. More often than not you are running.  And falling. And banging into things.  You pretty much always have a few bruises to show for your troubles.  Currently you have about 4 on your legs, a scraped knee, and a bruise on your cheek from falling at preschool that does not want to fade away.  But one of the things I love about you is that you always get right back up.  The first time you rode your bike down our laneway, you wiped out at the end.  You cried a little, and then got back on and rode around the block.  You made me so proud.
I know every parent probably says this at one time or another, but you truly are just SO smart buddy! The way that you put things together always amazes and delights me.  You make connections between things, and you are able to describe the world in words that just seem far too big for your little body.  You can count upwards to twenty now (with a little help here and there), you know your ABC's, you can spell three words with confidence: Liam, Mom & Dad and you are always asking me how to spell other names (Chloe, Addy, Nana, etc.), and you are SO good at problem solving (doing puzzles, putting Lego together, building things).  Part of me wants to keep you home with me next year, or just send you to another year at preschool, but in my heart I know that you are ready for bigger things.  So we have made the decision to send you to Junior Kindergarten. Eek! 

Oh how my heart is going to take a hit that first day that I have to leave you in the big, big school and say "have fun!"  Just driving by your new school already makes me nervous. lol.  But as in all things like this, I will probably just end up taking my lead from you little dude.  You seem to just jump right into new things.  With a smile and a hug, you are usually on your way.  Preschool, swimming lessons....you just love new adventures :)  I think you will thrive at your new school.  You will also be learning a new language as your school is a French Immersion school.  I am hoping you take to this as you take to other things. 
What else about you right this moment Liam?  You still have a few "lovies" that you take to bed with you, or hold onto when you are not feeling well.  Your monster blanket that I made for you years ago. Your stuffed sea turtle named Squirt (that I often call "Squirty" just to make you laugh and hear say "NO Mom...it's Squirt!!").  Your little bunny that came in the box we took home from the hospital after saying good bye to Oliver.  You named him "Baby Brother Oliver Bunny" and there is no short form.  You still sleep with your moon light on, and music playing.  Water beside your bed is mandatory (we hear about it if we forget! lol).  You love fruit and vegetable, but hate pretty well all forms of meat (except pepperoni on pizza, chicken fingers and tacos.  All the "nutritious" forms of course...).  You love frozen yogurt before bed.  You love to read books, and play with your cars.  You love going to the park and chasing after the big kids.  Lately you have loved taking showers rather than baths (oh my how you are growing up!) and you are obsessed with flossing your teeth.  You are funny! And you know it.  You are now in the "why" faze and you are full of questions about the world around you.  Never stop asking questions ok :)  You are also in the "I can do it by myself faze" so I am trying to remember to hold myself back and let you learn some things for yourself. 
Like I said before, you are just AWESOME Liam!! I am so, so, SO proud of you and always will be.  You have taught me so much already, and I can't wait to see what new things you come up with in the future.  I am so blessed.
 
      Love Mommy