Dear James,

My buddy. My big man. My sweet boy. I've realized that it's been a really long time since I've written you a letter here. The last time I wrote you a cutesy note in your lunchbox you told me it made you cry. Well guess what? Grab some tissues!
Now hand them to me because WHAA YOU'RE 6 NOW?
I blinked and then you became 6 years old. It's surreal. I guess in a way it sort of does feel like it's been 6 years since you've been born, but it really did fly by faster than any one of us ever realized.
Gosh 6 years.
I've kept you alive and well for 6 whole years! That's a huge accomplishment since you are very much BOY. I would go into more detail about thankful I am about avoiding certain buildings with an "ER" symbol on it due to crazy boyish antics (yet) and you have yet to acquire a massive amount of scars due to those same antics (yet) but I'd be really stupid if I said it'd never happen. But you do have your daddy's really good sense of balance and my sense of cautiousness so that has to count for something.
Although you are the point in your life now where jokes about poop, farts, and blood are even MORE hilarious. But if you scratch yourself and draw blood, blood's not so funny then. But then it is again because HAHAH BLOOD LOOK MA I DREW A PICTURE OF A POOPING BIRD THAT POOPS ON A BLOODY BIRD. And then you go into big specifics about how funny that is and that it's not really blood but then it's really cool that a 3rd bird is shot out of a cannon and then you make that bloody too.

Angry Birds isn't bloody right?!

I've consulted some folks about this violent drawing streak and it has been unanimous that you are just a boy. I did worry..thinking "Oh God.. I think I...... I think I have a troubled child" (insert nervous laughter) but now I just laugh with you but tell you how gross that is and you agree..but still laugh.

You are all boy.

You are also a doting brother to your little sis. There are some moments where shear joy is expressed on your face when she screams because you made her scream, but for the most part you are very thoughtful and sweet to her..and you think of her at school a whole lot that even your artwork has her in it.. WITH cat ears. Usually you draw you and her with other friends and just like your pooping and bloody artwork, there's always some action going on.
I've definitely come to the conclusion that comic books are going to be adored by you.

You are finding your place within the family and that's pretty neat to see. You know you are the big brother, the son, the grandson, the great-grandson, the nephew, the friend, and the object of a little girl's crush. You are so good looking. You have the most handsome face that sometimes I catch myself staring at it when you're drawing or playing a video game. I love watching your expressions. You have those big brown eyes and long brown lashes. No wonder all of the girls in your kindergarten class go "OH JAMES HI JAMES!!" SWOOON. Seriously. The teacher has already told us that out of the few boys that are in the class, you are the only boy that treats those girls like little women.
You can thank yourself and Natalie for that later.

You would still eat an entire 5 lb block of cheese if I let you- specifically mozzarella. And probably a 5 lb bucket of ice-cream to go with it. And then ask for more because you're still starving.

You are a fantastic sleeper. I can't even think of the last time you woke up in the middle of the night. And what's really cute is that you told me recently how much you love sleep. I remember when you were a month old, when you weren't sleeping because you were colic, and I thought that you'd always stay as the worst sleeper ever.
But ever since you turned that corner developmentally, you have been ze best sleeper ever. Even when you're sick you sleep like a champ.
You wear a size 1 reg. shoe and even that boggles the mind. I'm pretty sure that in a few years you'll be sharing shoes with daddy. Clothing too.

You love science and math and you love to ask questions about everything and anything. You love running and jumping and climbing, just like all of the other kids, but it amazes me how strong you are.
You have such a way of talking, too. You even sound like a little genius. There are times you've told me these big words like today, you told me that your teacher gave you a fruit as a snack and that it had "choline" in it. That is just incredible.
You love using my camera to make movies. I have quite a few 3 minute long movies to go through on my phone and I love hearing you make one. You talk like you're a talk show host in them, it's so cute.

You are mischievous but you're also a horrible liar (sorry). I can usually catch you in a lie pretty quick. You've gotten way better with the lying so I should stop there because you deserve a whole lotta credit.

Your teacher absolutely adores you and let's us know this all of the time. You are reading at the highest level in the class, along with a few other students, and she's still pushing you, which you kind of hate, but I love. But you take those challenges and run with it. You are such a great reader. I hope you know that. I'm always telling you but I still don't feel like I say that enough.

I'm just so proud of you James. I really can't believe that you are now a 6 year old, independent, thoughtful guy. I am completely amazed at everything you do. I don't tell you that all of the time but hopefully with my big smiles and hugs you seem to understand because you get so excited to tell me what new stuff is going on in your world.

Your world.

A big world with a big you growing in it with your own feelings, thoughts, and joys. I'm just here to keep loving you and making sure that we stay far away as possible from the big building with the ER sign on it. XOXOXO

Love,
Mom (you call me Mom now.. aaahhhh)