My very dearest Layden Paul,
First and most importantly, I love you – you are sweet and kind and generous and funny and by far my favorite 7 year old in the whole world! And you are all these wonderful things in spite of my efforts at parenting – not because of them! If motherhood has taught me anything its that control is an illusion and all that I can reasonably expect to do is keep you safe – most of all from yourself. You are a very strange mixture of bravado, curiosity, and trepidation. So while you will unhesitatingly fling yourself off a cliff into a river, you will resist all attempts to sleep alone in your room at night.
But I feel that on your birthday, I should try and give you the benefit of my wisdom. To quote one of my favorite authors, John Green, -”I’m not saying I’m smarter than you – I’ve just been smart a lot longer than you“! So here are some things I’ve learned in the last 32 years – I hope you can use these 7 nuggets of advice, one for each year:
1) Two wrongs don’t make a right!
2) Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you cry alone…. especially if you’re crying because I’m making you eat your veggies – oh the horror.
3) The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world…. or at least can dictate how much time you spend vegging in front of the TV or xbox230.
4) Age before beauty…..unless I’m going anywhere first! Try to stop putting on your clothes backwards and clean your face after you eat.
5) Stretch everyday…. not just physically but intellectually – so, while you may consider my insisting that you do a page of Math everyday this summer – akin to water boarding – remember that one day subtraction with borrowing may save your life!
6) Stand up for what you believe….. but you are 7 and you believe that its perfectly ok to demand chicken tenders for dinner every freaking day of the week – soooo – on second thoughts – sit yo ass down!
And finally….
7) Be kind to people…. this is non-negotiable – be kind or I will feed you lima beans for the next 11 years!
So happy birthday sweet boy!! You are perfect just try to think about the advice I give.
Love, Mommy
Making your birthday special at school
Off to make your birthday an extra special one.
Meeting Santa on your Birthday, very special
Christmas lights and show
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