Dear Jasper,
Today you are 8! 8 is such a “big kid” number. I think I thought the same thing last year when you turned 7, but now when I look back at your 7 year birthday image you look like a baby compared to now.
8 makes me worry that we only have like 3 more years (at best!) until you don’t even want to hang out with us anymore, or until you face the social and academic pressures of middle school (gulp!)
But for now, you are still our sweet, sweet boy. Harder to fit on our laps, but still wanting bed time hugs and kisses and still sleeping with bear and a giant menagerie of stuffed animal favorites!
First grade and this whole past year has been SUCH a year of changes. As one of your doctors told you this year there is never another year where you learn more than in first grade. Your first grade teacher even told me you blossomed into a “skilled mathematician” this year (which you certainly did not get from me!) But the transformation from halted to fluent reader was the most amazing to watch. And what really makes my heart swell is that you not only read to your sisters now, but that you choose to bring home books from school for your daily reading that you know your sisters will like (girly princess books that you would never choose for yourself!)
Your intense love and devotion to your sisters fills me with such pride. Like how when I ask you to get clothes for them from the basement you will do it, but will never get clothes for yourself when I ask you to. When I questioned you why you were too scared to go to the basement to get clothes for yourself but did it when I asked you to for the girls you said “because I love them more than I love myself!” MELT!
You continue to amaze me with your philosophical mind. You have been asking about the fundamental questions of existence since about the ripe old age of 4. Things like “How was the first person born?” and “How do I know I’m not dreaming?” If your young mind is already grappling with such questions, I cannot even imagine what problems you may solve or what mark you will make on the world with with the benefit of age and experience.
But most of all what I want to remember about you at this age is how sweet, goofy and playful you are. Whether it’s telling a joke, playing a card game or ring around the rosy or spaceship with your sisters, I love your giant crooked tooth smile and bright laugh, and the way we laugh together at your sisters (like when Willow told us she had “Cookie Toast” ice cream last night for the first time!)
I love seeing the world through your eyes – you are our trailblazer, our first born who made me and dad parents, Grammy and Poppy grandparents and will always be Sasha and Willow’s knight in shining armor.
We love you so much, and can’t wait to see what new adventures this next year brings!
xoxo,
Mommy
