September 2015: 60 months (5 years old)

Dear Patrick,

• The evening of 9/3, you said to me, "Mom, when I was a little baby you use to sing to me." And I replied, “Yes, and I'll sing to you right now if u want.” So as we're walking hand-in-hand to your bedroom, I sang very quickly and simply the first stanza of You Are My Sunshine. I heard you sniffle a little and thought it was your runny nose, which you seemed to of picked up earlier that day. But you said in this very tiny voice as you brought both hands to your eyes (and letting go of my hand), "Oh Mom, that made me cry." I almost burst into tears myself. I crouched down next to you so that you could sit on my leg and I hugged you. “Isn’t it wonderful to be full of so much love,” I said back to you. It really is.
• We got a new front door on 9/4. (Not sure if these little details will matter to you later in life but I’m including just in case.)
• Pop was in town on 9/8 to watch you earn a yellow tab on your karate belt. Then we all came home and had steaks to celebrate.
• At 6:30am on Wednesday 9/9 Cooper stood in the middle of the kitchen and barked - loudly, for no reason, like the most horrible alarm clock we’ve ever heard. And then you came running out of your room and announced that you accidentally wet the bed. So it was that kinda day.
• BB-8, the newest droid family member, joined our family thanks to Michael on 9/16 when we let you open your birthday present early.
• Coming home from karate, instrumental music was playing on the radio. I said to you that the song reminded me of an owl flying at night. (I thought that might help you thinking creatively) and then I asked you over my shoulder, “what does it remind you of?” You said very quickly, "It reminds me of my very old grandfather...dying."
• When you play pretend, you give others involved an actual verbal script to follow. It is step by step and you are very clear about who says what.
• Sonny and Katie came into town on 9/23 and stayed through your birthday weekend. There were good meals, wresting, the viewing of the REAL Star Wars movie episode IV and a lot of bubble gum. (How could your aunts and uncles not get you a gumball machine after you made such a great case on video!)
• On Sunday 9/27, you played the harmonica while your father and Sonny played the guitar and piano. And at one point you broke into song, which you made up on the spot, and your voice was so sweet and lovely; a family band in the making!
• We celebrated your 5th birthday in Star Wars style at the house. Despite the rain, we had a “sink the death star” (corn-hole) game, blast the dark side with water-guns, light saber bubble fights, tents, balloons, life size Vader and Luke Skywalker cut-outs, Jedi dress up photo corner in robes Omi sewed, drinks, snacks, a special Vader plate, and the entire solar system accurately hung in the dining room by Aunt Katie.  It was a really fun time.
• Our present to you on your 5th birthday was a blue Trek bike, which you’ve fallen off once (despite training wheels). Luckily we had light saber band-aids on hand. The “force” fixes so much.
• You have such a great imagination and I love the cadence of your speech. “Mom, you know what?” you will start, and then you will proceed to talk about the world as you know it; the stories you see on TV or read in books and the images that must run through that very creative head of yours...it’s really magical. There is no way to capture it or repeat it. One just needs to drive in a car with you and listen.

 

August 2015: 59 months (4 years and eleven months old)

Dear Patrick,

• You collect rocks from the playground at school and bring them home as gifts for us.  I find them rattling around in the bottom of your school bag. “Those are for you and dad,” you tell me.
• You and I finished reading our first real chapter book together called My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Gannett on 8/1. We started the book at the end of July and read a chapter or two each night before bed. You listened, but I could tell it wasn’t your favorite story. However, the next book we started, “Owls in the Family” you cannot get enough of: Billy, Wol and Weeps. (And your Dad says I read it best, cuz I use a Georgia-cracker accent when doing their voices.)
• From "Star Wars radio" you've learned the meaning of the words: maniacally, instantly and furious. Mrs. Betsy said that your vocabulary is amazing for your age - I did not tell her most of your words may be galaxy related.
• You earned a belt in karate on 8/4 and as the instructor singled you out in class to praise you for your efforts, you stood so proudly. Your father got it on video. You told me later, “This is so special to me,” cradling the folded belt in your arms like a baby.
• Games we play lately: "puppet show" where you use your stuffed animals and a bed as the stage. The other game is "hot lava floor," in which we create a path of pillows around various rooms of the house to walk upon and if you touch the floor, you have to start all over.
• You wrapped up the second week of swim lessons this month, achieving levels of “pike” and “eel.”
• I heard you make a promise to your father on 8/6 that if he allowed you to watch Clone Wars on TV that you would eat your breakfast. “But, how about this,” you added, “I will eat, but I'll take some loooong breaks, okay.” Such a negotiator.
• You told Gangie on 8/8, “Don’t touch electric wires - they are highly deadable.”
• The black eye you received earlier this month from a head-butt on the playground with Landon is fading.
• At your request, I sewed-up a hole in Elephant’s tail with blue thread that matched perfectly, and he feels so much better now.
• On 8/14 at 3:00am in the morning, you came into our room to tell us that you threw up. You didn’t have a fever, so I sleepily cleaned up the rug and the floor, and we sent you back to bed with a “throw up bucket” beside you - just in case. And sure enough, the next morning we discovered you had thrown up again - this time in the bucket. Since you knew what to do, you didn’t feel the need to tell us. You just soldiered on.
• On 8/18, you earned a red tab on your white belt in Jeet Kune Do and you were very happy. Later, you and another little boy, bumped heads during the game portion of the class. And even though you burst into tears from the collision, you picked yourself up (with some encouragement from your parents) and went on to win the entire dodge-ball game that night.
• You would chew gum every moment of the day if we let you.
• You’ve been getting yourself dressed in the mornings and because you are making your own choices, I don’t even question corduroys in the heat of summer. We have put extra shorts - just in case - in your school bag as back-up.
• You quote "Star Wars radio" out-loud as it plays - your voice syncs exactly with the narrator AND you even add the sound effects at just the right moment. Guess how many times that means we’ve all heard the stories?

July 2015: 58 months (4 years and ten months old)

Dear Patrick, 

• “I am soooo patient, Dad,” I heard you tell your father over and over (and over!) again. You did not outright ask to have the television turned on, but you were quick to point out how very patiently you were waiting for him to turn the TV on.
• You tell me that sometimes Elephant lives in Macon and goes to camp. I don’t blame him - camp in Macon is fun: swimming, tennis, crafts, new friends! There is so much to love there - although you did tell Pop that you “hate golf.”
• The July 4th fireworks at Idle Hour were amazing. You put your hands over your ears at first, given the noise, but you were impressed by the colors in the sky and had so much fun staying up late. You looked so comfortable as you waved hello to kids you knew from camp - you knew more folks than I did!  
• We are working on your focus. You can be silly at times, which is great - I love how you are able to amuse yourself because no one makes you laugh harder than you do, but there are times when we need you to eat without the fork talking to the spoon or a full running commentary in the voice of a baby lizard.
• On Thursday 7/9, after your father and I got ready for work, we found you sitting straight up in the middle of our bed making a grumpy “thumbs down” motion with both hands out-stretched at arm’s length. A little boy in a big bed with a huge frown. You didn’t say anything, but disappointment was clearly communicated. You wanted to snuggle (like you do most mornings!) and we had gotten up earlier than you expected. We talked to you about your feelings and tried not to laugh because snuggle time is serious business.
• For Big Mitchell’s birthday this month, he bought you two Star Wars books that came with two CDs, which read the stories out-loud (and the voices are very close to the actual characters.) Your father and I put a CD in each of our cars because you like to listen to “Star Wars Radio.” In fact, chewing gum and listening to “Star Wars Radio” on the way to the pool or karate may by one of your favorite things to do lately.
• You have a skill that you call “re-memorize” in which, as you explain it, you take a picture with your eyes and then you are able to see something [when you close your eyes or it goes away] later.
• I have now have heard the abbreviated version of “Return of the Jeti” a billion times but it never occurred to me that Darth Vader needs an army because (as you explained to us), “sometimes Vader gets tired.”  
• Nana and Papa gave you their twin guest room beds, which Big Mitchell and your father moved into your bedroom on Sunday 7/12. It looks great! The furniture served as childhood beds for Papa and his brother, and there is something really lovely about you sleeping in history.
• You do not like a hot pillow.
• On Tuesday 7/14, I took you to the doctor because of a slight fever the night before and your complaints of a sore throat. You told me on the way there, without any preparation from me that you would “be brave” -- and oh, how you were! I could tell you were a little nervous to get the strep test, which isn’t pleasant (stick shoved down throat), but you repeated your mantra to the nurse and to Dr. Bass and the check-up went great. I was so impressed with your resolve to be strong. You wanted to be brave and you made it happen.
• The Potter family came to visit mid-month and wonderful to have them in Greenville. You had not met before, but you were immediately at home with family. “Hey Darbs,” you’d say wanting your cousin’s full attention. I loved watching you teach Derrick to play your ipad game and helping Kimmie build the Star Wars lego ships that they brought as presents for you (lucky boy!).  
• On the same day that Pop sent an article about social skills being a better indicator of success for children than grades, Matt Whitehead told me a great story: Apparently you and Rivers had a disagreement about the flotation device you both wear in the pool. You call it a puddle jumper and Rivers calls it a swimmy but you explained to Matt that you would call it a swimmy in front of Rivers because he doesn’t like calling it a puddle jumper. You are a very kind, socially skilled child.
• You started to swim by yourself this month - really swim: with kicking legs and swinging arms and breathing. Your dad has been working with you at the Stone Lake Pool and all of a sudden, you seem to get it. I took you to an official lesson on 7/27 and the teacher said that you were so good, you needed to move up a level. “Torpedo” has now become part of our vernacular.
• On the way to swim lesson on 7/28, I told you that we were listening to Gershwin on NPR and you said, “No Mom. This is Mozart.” These were the exact words out of your mouth and I was so impressed we were having a discussion about composers that I didn’t even correct you...cuz it really was Gershwin. (I'm just sayin'!) 
• On 7/21, when I was tucking you into bed, you told me that you wanted to make a rainbow cake with rainbow frosting and rainbow candles for a girl in your class. Which girl, I asked. “ALL the girls,” you clarified. Oh.
• You have woken up three times in the middle of the night this month - once from a bad dream and twice because your legs hurt. You go right back to bed without any objection - its as if you just want someone else to be aware of your struggles and then once shared, you can rest again.
• “You look pretty, Mom” you told me one morning, “but you need earrings.” And then you ran into our bedroom to select them for me. I would have worn bright, purple feathers if you brought them back - anything for you.
• Pop sent you a math kindergarten workbook through the mail, which we did together on 7/28 and you are great at the mazes, matching, counting, patterns and shapes. However, when we get to an exercise to draw or color anything, you would say very diplomatically, “Let’s just come back to this one.” (We never come back to those.) I like seeing the way your mind naturally works and what you enjoy. You becoming you, Patrick Byrd, is fun to watch.

June 2015: 57 months (4 years and nine months old)

Dear Patrick,

• On Friday 6/5 you told me a bug flew in your ear. To humor you, I got a flashlight and looked, and there - in your ear - was an actual, tiny bug with wings and legs. I removed it with tweezers and made a mental note to believe everything you tell me.
• This month you learned how to crack lobsters from a Massachusetts pro.
• You met a new friend named Spence at the pool, who is also four years old. He taught you to jump in from the side. You also love when we throw you in (with puddle jumper on).
• On 6/2 Biggie took you and your father to a baseball game after work and you sat in the front row behind third base and ate peanuts. There was only enough time for one inning before your bedtime, but you came home with a ball and a huge smile.
• Thank you (I think!) Suber family for introducing us to "Larva" - a totally disgusting weird cartoon, but makes you laugh like I've never seen.
• You tell us regularly that you have a really old grandfather who lives in Egypt and you use to visit him when you were a tiny baby.
• Your toy “Greenie Bob” speaks with a Jamaican accent, thanks to your father.
• You like for us to count to twelve when you are asked to stand still (like when we brush your hair after your bath.) You came up with the counting method of patience all by yourself. You are a statue while we count and you don’t mind if we count slow or fast, but when twelve is said out-loud, time is up.
• You made a decision about which “lovie” to bring to school by saying “eenie meenie miney moe” on 6/19.
• The “It-doesn’t-matter-which-foot-you-put-your-sock-on” song, which you made up and sing in the mornings, is catchy and gets stuck in my head.
• You read out-loud from the back of the cereal box: “no fish oils.” I was amazed. Not only because there is a possibly of fish oils in mini-wheats (who knew?!), but also by the fact that you sounded out the letters all by yourself. You needed a little help with “oils” but you basically did it alone. That was the first time I saw you read.
• Netflix carries old Sesame Street episodes and we’ve enjoyed watching those this month with you. The aliens that beep make you laugh the hardest.
• On the annual Dad/Patrick beach trip to Pawley’s Island, you were sick, but I hear you guys managed to still have a lot of fun. I loved the photos I received of you and Jack and Abigail together - what a cutie crew.
• When you crawl into our bed in the mornings, you will saddle up next to one of us and basically suctioned yourself to us as you fall back to sleep. Its so amazingly comfortable - except when you flail your arms around and knock us in the head. Then I second guess that arrangement.
• For Father’s Day weekend, we went to the Satterfield’s lake house with the Okupinskis and had a great time on the boat and in the pool. We brought extra goggles to share with Sylvie and Quinn. And you picked up some Mindcraft tips from the older kids.
• We had an adventure at the end of the month as we drove to Atlanta, took Marta to the Airport and then a shuttle to meet Omi & Pop’s plane from Spain. This would be the first time you would go to Macon without your parents and I had a momentary fear that we had not prepared you for the separation...But when you followed everyone out the doors and didn’t even look to say goodbye, we knew it was fine. There wasn't a moment hesitation. You are happy wherever you are.

May 2015: 56 months (4 years and eight months old)

Dear Patrick,

• You call the space behind your knee, your "leg pit." You have an arm pit - so, why not a leg pit. It makes sense.
• You can sound out words and tell us the first letter of almost every word we ask - amazing. You will sound out “...wa-wa- watermelon. W!” And you can pick out most of the other obvious letters in the rest of the word too. Mrs Betsy says this is seriously advanced for your age. You have a good ear.
• You do not, however, have good penmanship. You can write your name but it’s not exactly...controlled. 
• You asked us over dinner, apropos of nothing, "What is a space time continuum?"
• You drew a “stinker-head” for Mrs Betsy on her teacher appreciation card, which sounds rude but to a four year old boy is actually a sign of love. The stinker-head is basically a wobbly circle with two lines for arms out the side and two lines for legs below, and then lots of vertical lines for hair above. Its beautiful.
• I put a “fruity” in your lunchbox and you said to me in a secretive voice, “Mom, that extra fruity is just between you and me.” I laughed, and then it dawned on me: someone had used this exact line with you before, and now I’m wondering who is sneaking your treats and keeping it hush??!!
• “Dad, I’m gonna need some privacy,” you said as you walked to the bathroom.
• If you get restless - water balloons, a water gun and army men are a solution.
• Michael came into town and stayed for five days over Cinco de Mayo with Omi & Pop across the street. We had a couple spend-the-night parties, after school snack times, lunch dates, happy hours (with signature lemon drop martinis), great meals out and wonderful meals in gathered around the island on our new counter stools that Michael put together…  It all went by so fast, but I hope you have a few good memories from this month. My favorite times were seeing you snuggled close to Omi on the couch with her ipad and headphones, your uncle carrying you across the street after you took up too much room in his bed, watching you play “Capture the Cards” (War) with the guys, and Pop teaching you to toss a ball with your hip turned and your hand coming through by your ear. You have a good arm!  
• Lisa Howell returned a pedometer that was left at her house and said that when she asked if it was yours, you replied, "Oh, yes that's mine - I got it at yoga." You and I went to one yoga class on 5/9 and now, all of a sudden, we appear to be a family of athletic yogis.
• Your Dad and Biggie took you to a Dino-adventure at the TD Convention Center on 5/2 and you had a great time! I thought you might be a little scared but every photo they sent had you smiling ear to ear.  You came home with a new stuffed animal friend called “Spike.”
• "I hate the villagers," you said talking about your new game Mindcraft. "Well, now Patrick - hate is a strong word, " your Dad replied. "Yes okay," you said nodding your head in agreement, "but in the case of villagers, Dad, I really hate them." 
• I tickle your arms with my fingernails and you become very still like a statue not wanting it to stop. I know this feeling - I did the same thing when my mom tickled my arms as a child.
• "That's what the real Mary Poppins wears," you told me pointing to the lace on the bottom of a shirt I wore on 5/20. "Does that mean you like it?" I asked. "Yes," you answered. It was an interesting way to get to a compliment but I'll take it.
• You, Millie & JP had so much fun dancing under the mist made by the pressure washer at the Howell house. All the kids would yell up the ladder to Mr Jason, who was working, and ask to be squirted. The herd of kids followed him around the house for a good hour. Later the Howells cooked marshmallows in the fire pit outside our kitchen door and you guys loved burning the sticks and drawing with the blackened ends on the sidewalk.
• On Tuesday morning 5/19 while I was helping you get dressed, you said, "Let me smell you," and held my arm to your cheek. "You smell like home," you told me. 

April 2015: 55 months (4 years and seven months old)

Dear Patrick,

• You have a rubber frog that you call “Patricia.” I believe you borrowed this frog from Rivers over a year ago, and now that you've named it, she may be here to stay.
• On nature walks, you bring your foam sword and kill all the dandelions in sight.
• Even though your Easter basket was filled with lots of toys, you only had eyes for the Legos. The bunny hid eggs around the living room, which really just allowed your parents to drink coffee comfortably on the couch as you ran around hunting. Later that morning, we went to Gangie & Biggie’s house for a great lunch and it was a very nice day.
• On April 7th, we received the Stone Lake membership to the pool.  So this year, after Memorial Day, which is the official opening, we are gonna “Rule the Pool,” as you & your Dad say.
• Pollen is really causing trouble this month. On Wednesday April 8th it got so bad that I took you to the doctor, who prescribed a new steroid for your inhaler. And next year she recommends that we start you on a low dose of allergy medicines leading up to pollen season. 
• You love to wrestle with your Dad on the bed. You do this game of jumping over a pillow and then your Dad tries to fall on you (a love bomb) and misses.
• On the evening of 4/14 after dinner, your dad was doing the dishes at the kitchen sink. You decided to run laps around the island and when the dishwasher door was opened suddenly, you stopped in your tracks and whined, “Daaadd! Its in my waaaaay!” And that is when we had a little talk about tone, priorities and who is the real boss of this house.
• I suggested that you go outside to play after school one day and you replied matter-of-factly, “I can’t - I have allergies.” Tough to argue with your convenient truths, but I still pushed you outside.
• Pop came into town on Thursday 4/16 so that he could stay with you while your dad and I went to dinner for our tenth wedding anniversary!  Take care of Pop we instructed and you said you would because “Pop is REALLY old.” That made your (73 year old) Pop laugh so hard.
• You love to make pizza - okay, well, more to the point - you love squishing and spreading the dough into the pan. I would eat pizza everyday just to hear you squeal at "pizza toots" when the air bubbles pop.
• On Saturday 4/18, you & Bodhi went hunting for salamanders in the Suber’s backyard with Judson. You came home covered in mud and no slimy animals for us to keep in jars, which I’d call perfect morning fun.

March 2015: 54 months (4 years and six months old)

Dear Patrick,

• Your favorite thing that I brought you back from Los Angeles was the lotion bottle from the hotel. It is not hard to impress a 4.5 year old.
• You’ve woken a few times with nightmares this month. I listen to what scared you from your dream, and then together we find a way to “change it in your mind.” We re-tell the scary parts in a way that makes you laugh, which usually involves a toot or poop in the new storyline. I think your ability to “fix” a fear yourself makes you feel stronger, and your special gift for creativity just makes it easy.
• With the guest bed across the street, we created a playroom for all your toys, using two tall bookcases and a large open area to play, which works quite well. When Millie and JP come over - we toss you all in there and try to keep the chaos contained.
• Your dad created “nature walks” after dinner, which basically means that we walk around the block. You have a lot of rules on these walks: you lead, no stepping on cracks and you educate us on bumblebees and other nature you see. Your father and I usually end up carrying important crystals (otherwise known as rocks), leaves, weed-flowers and sticks, as you instruct, but we try to strategically drop as much as possible on the way back home.
• The other day in the car on the way to school you told your dad that he “forgot to hydrate your skin.”
• Your Biggie found a small blockage in his heart that did not require surgery this month, but he is going to work on diet and exercise so he can stay around for a long time to play with you.
• The “I am” game you invented is fun. You think of someone and give one clue, which is the best part of this exchange: kisses the top of your head - Pop; matzah snacks - Omi; smells good and leave lipstick - Gangie; takes you swimming - Biggie; tractor ride - Tom; helped you find worms - Charlotte; calls you squirt - Dad; lives in New York - Sonny & Katie; gave you Eagle McClesky - Bunky; let’s you help feed the dogs - Jennifer; wrestles on the bed - Jono; is your brother/cousin - Jack.
• “Ninjago” and “Spacer Racers” are two new shows you love to watch on TV this month. Sometimes those stories get incorporated into the personal stories you tell, and its no wonder its sometimes hard to follow your train of thought.
• You have a renewed interested in “Boo-Hoo Baby” book, which has been our personal bedtime story at least a five times. You occasionally like to pick a book you know by heart and “read” it to your guys. Its beautiful to hear your voice carry in the dark to the living room as your Dad and I listen to you talk to an audience of lovies.
• After the bunny clock in your room tells you its time to get up, I look forward to hearing your footsteps running down the hall to our room. You come to our bed and fall back to sleep - always in the middle. I deliberately set our alarm later so we all get some good snuggle time, which is the best way to start every day.
• At an early Easter egg hunt at the Satterfield’s house on Sunday afternoon (3/29) you filled your basket and then with a “whew” sat down next to me in the driveway. “There are more eggs, Patrick - I see some over there and there,” I said pointing as other kids scramble to get as many plastic eggs as possible. “Nah, I’m good,” you said. Happy and satisfied with your winnings. I appreciate how you just seem to know your own drum beat.