Dear Lucas (6 years),

Happy Birthday, my sweet baby boy! It is hard to believe that you are six years old. Soon you will be starting First grade but for now I am glad we still have a few more weeks of summer to keep having fun. Here is what we've done so far:

We discovered a nearby swimming hole thanks to some friends. It's like our own little local beach.

To celebrate the 4th of July we had a pool party at Grandma & Grandpa's house and then had a cookout with friends and shot off fireworks together.

The following week we went to Saint Simons Island for our family reunion.

After our family reunion you went home with Levi and stayed with your cousins for a week.

On the way home we stopped at the gas station with a petting zoo. I realized later we had stopped there exactly a year ago. The first time we stopped there we were headed to Atlanta to have your eyes checked under anesthesia. Your Dad and I were so scared back then.

This summer you and Gabriel have decided that the two of you are best friends since David has seemed to pair off with Jake. It works out since the four of you play together quite often and nobody gets left out this way. You four usually play together while the adults play board games or chat over coffee. The four of you will also be at the same school this year.

One of my favorite things that we've done this summer was to sneak off and get frozen yogurt at bedtime. We had such a good time sitting outside and giggling together under the stars.

Your cousin Kaliegh came down from Massachusetts to visit her Dad for the summer and we got her a few times while she was here. You had a blast hanging out with her and Steven.

Your favorite toy right now are Lego blocks. Your friend Bella sent you a gift card to WalMart for your birthday and you knew what you wanted to pick out before you even got to the store- big boy Lego sets. Before know all you had were the ones for toddlers. You haven't put them down since you got them.

Last night while you were sleeping I filled your floor with balloons. In the morning you were so excited to wake up to your room decorated. I did the same thing last year and I think it is a tradition that we will keep around.

Tonight we celebrated at home and you opened presents from us and then blew out your birthday candles. On Sunday we will have your birthday party and celebrate with your family and a few friends. I can't wait to see what this year has in store for us.

I love you to the moon and back,

Mommy

Dear Lucas (5 years 10 months 1 week and 3 days)

I guess the biggest news this past month is that our family has grown by four paws. Once again we have a kitten and it is the sweetest little at ever. You decided to name her Squeakie because when she meows she squeaks a little bit. She loves to play and snuggle. She even gets along with Jadie.

The day we got Squeakie we also went to Matthew's graduation. It was really cool to see him graduate. After it was over you were so excited to run up to him and say congratulations.

Thursday was your kindergarten awards night, it was kind of like a graduation with out the cap and gown. You looked so handsome all dressed up and you even wore a tie.

During the awards ceremony you guys sang songs and had different lines to say. You had a line at the start of the program and it was, "we weren't sure exactly what to do each day." Then everyone got a special medal. Afterwards we went out to dinner with Grandma, Grandpa, Tony, Lori, Joseph, Josh, and Matthew. You even got presents afterwards.

The day after awards day was field day and man was it HOT! Your class was supposed to do 12 events but I think you guys only made it half way. I remember doing field day when I was a kid so it was cool to get to see you guys do some of the same stuff.

I can't believe you just have a few more days of Kindergarten left. Next year you will be a big first grader. You will also be in the gifted program next year.

You are still good friends with David and Gabriel. They spent the night a few weeks ago for the first time. You all had a ball. I'm sure we'll do all kinds of fun stuff this summer and next year they'll be at your school.

I love you to the moon and back,

Mom

Dear Lucas (5 years and 1 month old),

Your letter is a few days late this month because I wanted to include your first day of Kindergarten. The last few weeks I would get a little sad when I thought about you being older. One day I think you could tell I was having one of those moments and you said, "Don't worry Mommy. Remember the book you read to me last year when I was scared about going to school. I will give you a kissing hand and whenever you miss me you can just touch it to your cheek."

I can't believe how fast your first summer off from school flew by us. You loved anything that involved water; the beach, swimming at Grandma & Grandpa's, or splashing around in the fountains downtown. We hit up the new splash fountain in Forsyth Park a few times and it is one of my favorite places to go with you. We live pretty close by and free parking is easy to find. Also, I love that it is a place that I went as a kid and your Dad and I also went there on our first date.

This summer you moved even further up the cousin totem poll when your Aunt Lori and Uncle Tony had their second child. You weren't as excited about Joshua being born as you were about Joshua. You acted like you were thinking "eh, he's cute and all, but he's a baby. Call me in a few years when he can kick a ball or push a train." When Joseph was born you expected him to come out ready to play now I guess you have more reasonable expectations for babies.

You have officially become a cool older cousin. The way that you look up to Shane and Colby is the way that Joseph looks up to you. When Lori and Tony were all busy with labor and having Joshua, Joseph hung out with us for 24 hours. He adored you. Everything you did he wanted to do. Every toy you played with he wanted to hold. You were AMAZING with him. Sometimes when you are playing with your friends you don't want to share but you were so great at looking after him. He even bunked with you and the two of you slept together all night long. I hope it is your first of many more cousin overnights.

David and Gabe are still your best friends. If you go a whole day without seeing them then you go through withdrawals and beg for them to come over or you to go to their house. Luckily they live just a few blocks from us. They haven't been over as much as they usually are since their Mom has been off from work recovering from surgery but you three still got together all summer long. On the last day of summer break there was a heavy rain storm and our power was knocked out. We headed over to their house and your Dad and I played Uno with the adults while you kids splashed around in the giant "lake" in the street.

Monday was your first day of school and you were ready to go the moment you woke up. I jumped in the shower while you were sleeping and when I got out I found you fully dressed with your backpack on your back. Since you are crazy about super heroes lately I got you a batman underoos shirt to wear under your uniform. You loved having a "secret identity" that nobody else at school would know about. You could not wait to ride the bus and didn't want me to take you but you did agree that I could meet you at your school and walk you to your class.

I was standing right there when you stepped off the bus and you were so excited. You loved riding the bus and I guess my carpool duties are over for the next few years (at least when it comes to school.)

You walked right into your classroom like you owned the place and hung up your backpack and sat down in front of a can of blue playdoh. You could care less that I was still there. I kept telling you I was about to leave and you would just say "okay mom, see you later" I was able to sneak a kiss and you did give me a kissing hand and you didn't even notice that I left. You are such a big kid! I am excited that you have a friend from your prek class from last year with you and now according to you Heather is your best friend at school.

The first thing you do when you get home from school everyday is run in the house and start stripping your clothes off. Then you find your Captain America costume and you spend the rest of the night dressed up. Sometimes you even have me and your Dad say lines that you tell us too. Your Dad is usually the villain and I am usually the damsel in distress that calls out for help. You don't go back to being Lucas until it is time for bath, story time and a few minutes of snuggle time before bed.

Captain America, I love you to the moon and back,

Mom

Wise Beyond His Years?!?

The other night Lucas was taking a bath and I went to start a load of clothes. When I walked back in the bathroom I found water everywhere. He had taken the bath towels and hand towels off the racks and put them in the bathtub and then threw them on the bathmat soaking wet and getting water everywhere. When I asked him what made him do something like that he looked at me and said, "because I knew you weren't in the bathroom to catch me doing it and I could get away with it while you were gone." His answer took me by surprise. I was expecting the usual shoulder shrug or an "I don't know."

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Then the following conversation happened today

Lucas: "Mommy I just prayed by myself"

Me: "What did you pray for?"

Lucas: "I prayed that my friends' Dad Mr.Sean would feel better and not be sick anymore."

Sean is David and Gabe's Dad, (the two boys that I babysit a few afternoons a week, and Lucas' best friends) and he wasn't feeling good today.

Dear Lucas (4 Years 11 months),

Your very first summer vacation from school is well under way. You keep asking "how many more days of summer do I have left?" You are so worried that it is going to be over tomorrow. Even though you won't admit it I think you miss school though. You have been talking about your classmates and teachers a lot lately. "Mom, when our teachers say 'Criss cross apple sauce' we sit like this and put our hands in our laps and listen" and "Mom, can you show me how to write your phone number? You need to give it to Tatem so she can call me." I am pretty sure that you are going to go back to Pooler Elementary in the fall and it would be neat if some of your friends were in your kindergarten class.

This summer seems pretty tame compared to all the fun road trips we went on last summer but you did get to try out your very first slip=n-slide a few weeks ago. You had a blast but then again you are part fish. You love to be in the water any chance you get. It doesn't matter to you if it is a kiddie pool or a day at the beach. If you are in the water you are happy.

One thing you did get to do so far this summer is go to Vacation Bible School. Your Grandma took you with Shane and Colby and I think you enjoyed it. They had a western theme and ever since you've been wearing a cowboy hat and asking me to make you lassos out of things. You going to VBS made me reminisce about all the times your Great Gram took Lori, Eric, and I to VBS when we were kids. I've been missing her a lot lately, especially since all the fun road trips we took last summer were with her. I am so grateful for the memories of you and her together.

Okay, so we have gone on one road trip this summer but it wasn't really a vacation. We had to take you to Emory in Atlanta so you could see a specialist about your eyes. This time your Dad went with us too and he got to see how much "fun' doctor appointments can be... for instance when we had to hold you down so you could get eye drops put in your eyes while you are screaming bloody murder and saying "Mommy please help me!" We actually have to go back in a few weeks so that you can be put to sleep so they can get a better look at your retinas. They think that you may have holes in your retinas and if so they should be able to fix them with lasers. So part of me kind of hopes they find holes so they can "fix" your eyes and be done with it... so more hurry up and wait.

I'm still watching your friends David and Gabe a few days a week. When the three of you are together you fight and then when you are apart for a day (or even a few hours) you all beg to play together again. Your favorite toys right now are your stuffed dogs and all of you boys like to pretend they are real. Whenever you see a commercial on TV for the humane society you ask me "Mom can we please go adopt ALL of those dogs? They can live hear with us. You have such a big heart.

Really you boys are more like family by now then just friends. One day a few months ago I was driving you home from school and you told me, "You know Gabe and I fight sometimes because we are like brothers." You've also started asking again when you are finally going to get your big brother, oh and you want a kitten to now too. I thought about getting you one of those furreal kittens... those battery operated toys that purr... wonder if they come in a big brother style too?

I love you so very much,

Mommy

Dear Lucas (4 years 9 Months and a few days)

It is so hard for me to believe that your first year of school is almost over and even harder to believe that you are almost five. Time seems to be on fast forward lately. I am looking forward to the lazy days of summer when we get to go on mini adventures again.

Your friends David and Gabriel still spend quite a bit of time with us and if you go a day or two without them you seem to go through withdraws. Then when you guys are all together you guys fight and argue. I guess they are more like your family now then just friends. Next year the three of you will be going to the same school and probably riding the bus together. I hope you boys stay friends for many years to come. The only thing I hated about growing up as an Army brat is that I didn't get the chance to grow up with kids I knew from the sandbox years.

Our new house is right around the corner from Lowe's and it is becoming one of your favorite places to spend a Saturday morning. They have free projects for kids and it is right up your alley. You love working with your hands and building things.

One other activity that you are really loving right now is Tee ball. I am so thankful that we signed you up. I might be biased but you are pretty good at it too. You can hit the ball pretty far and you have quite an arm on you. It is really teaching you how to be a good sport and teamwork. Plus it is so darn cute to watch. In the middle of your first game an airplane flew overhead while you guys are on the field and half your team is looking up at the sky going "ooooh look, an airplane"

We just got back from your third trip to California and your first time seeing the Pacific Ocean. The first thing you did when you hit the beach was ask me for your swim clothes. You were a little shocked when you felt how cold the water was and when I told you that the water there NEVER gets warm, the expression on your face was priceless. The cold didn't keep your feet out of the water and when we finally left they were BRIGHT red from the cold water.

While we were in California, we stayed in this awesome rental house with a ton of our family. I think I heard there were twenty five adults and 9 kids staying on the property. That wasn't counting everyone that came and just didn't sleep there. You had a ball playing with your cousins and it really made me wish that there was a way to move Georgia and California closer to each other. You are already planning our next trip back, and this time you are insisting that your Daddy HAS TO GO. I couldn't agree more.

Luc, I love you more than hammer head sharks,

Mommy

Dear Lucas (4 years 8 months),

It is hard to believe it is spring already and we have now been in our house for an entire month. It's so cool to have our own yard and watch our trees and bushes bloom and flower. Your school project this month was to make a hat that represents spring. We put a flower pot on top with flowers blooming our and a bunny hiding. We also decorated with gardening gloves and tools. You painted dirt all over the hat and I think it turned out really cute.

Friday was the very last day of school before Spring Break. So not only did you turn in your hat but you also got to have a class Easter Egg hunt right before school ended. There was an educational twist since each student had to collect twelve eggs exactly. Then when everyone collected their twelve eggs you were all allowed to go hunting for any eggs remaining. It was a mad scramble as twenty 4 and 5 year olds went running to find eggs and tear into candy.

I didn't realize how much you've gown since you started school until just the other day when I went to pick you up from school. You started running over to me and I just had to laugh. You were wearing capri pants that looked like a shorter version of the spare pants I sent at the beginning of the school year. Back in September the pants fit you perfectly, maybe even a little long. I hope your uniforms can make it through a few more months because I would hate to have to buy all new clothes for just a short bit of time, especially since next year you'll be wearing blue and grey instead of red. You got in to Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School for Kindergarten and we've decided to accept the spot. I hope we've made the right choice for you.

You've become quite Daddy's little helper. You love to help with anything that has to do with tools. Today you went with Daddy to Lowe's and got a little kit to make at home and I think you guys are going to start going to their Saturday kid workshops for a little Father/Son bonding time. I'm looking forward to the week ahead and our own bonding time because you are now officially on Spring Break. I can't wait to just hang out with you.

Luc-E, I love you to the moon and back.

Mommy

Dear Lucas (4 years 7 months)

It is hard to believe that you are now closer to five than you are to four. Your school is already sending notes home about Kindergarten since in a few short months school will be out for the year. Right now you get to go to Pooler Elementary because of the Pre-k program there but next year you have to switch to your district school. There is a small chance you might get to still go to Pooler next year since the school board is redistricting right now. It would be great if you could stay at PES. You seem to really enjoy it there and they have such fun programs like the Georgia Day Parade around the school.

You are continuing to thrive in school. You've been coming home and asking us how to spell every word under the sun and constantly trying to sound out words on your own. A few weeks ago you came home from school with a medal for good behavior. You were so proud of that award that you wore it for several days straight. You only took it off at bedtime, because we made you.

A few weeks ago it actually snowed here, which you got you so excited. We just happened to have your friends David and Gabe over that night and as soon as the snow was sticking I took you guys outside to play. You guys had a snowball fight and it was so much fun to watch.

After you went to bed and they left for the night I went outside and scooped up a little bag of snow and stuck it in the freezer. The next morning you woke up and the first thing you did was look out the window to see if the snow was still there. It had already melted away and you were bummed about that so I pulled out the bag of snow I saved and we made your very first snowman. You thought it was the coolest thing ever.

We are pretty much moved into our house and you seem to really love your new room, especially your bed. Back in your toddler bed days, you would wake up in the middle of the night and crawl into our bed. Now that you are in a twin sized bed you sleep the whole night in your own bed. We both love that your bed is now big enough for me to climb in and cuddle with you while we read stories or just to talk about your day.

The other thing that we both REALLY love about our new house is the fantastic yard. You love playing in your "club house" and I love that you can go outside and play safely while I get stuff done indoors. The back of the house has so many great windows that I can see you no matter what room I am in doing stuff. Now that the weather is getting warmer you and your friends spend most of the time playing outside.

I love you to the moon and back,

Mama