Happy Birthday, Gavin!

Gavin, you are 4 today! It's hard to believe that four years have already passed, but at the same time, it seems like the day you were born was a lifetime ago. Which makes sense because our life before you was not the same life as the one that came after you were born. And that is the understatement of the century.

I haven't the creative energy nor the inspiration for a lengthy post about you and your growth over the last year, but I'll cover the important details as best I can. Your curiosity and fascination with machines, cars and the world in general are your most remarkable traits. You'll watch "How It's Made" over and over so you can see the machines at work and understand how things are created in a factory. All day long it's, "How, Why, When, What, Where." And it's exhausting, but it's also great to witness your world expand as you learn more and more.

You are also a bona fide Bug Guy. It doesn't matter what kind of bug (or even small reptile) it is...you want to catch it and keep it. From moths to flies to lizards and beetles and stink bugs. You love ALL the bugs. We repeatedly warn you about the ones that sting, and I just hope you take me seriously with that. When we can't be outdoors (i.e. the entire Arizona summer), you can be found inside building Legos or Magna Tiles or blocks or Play Doh. Your creations are becoming more and more imaginative, and I'm so impressed with how far you've come. You'll hang out with your Legos for an hour or more, which is a true testament to your remarkable attention span.

You've grown by leaps and bounds over the last year at school. You've always been a quiet, keep-to-yourself kind of guy (and you're in good company!), but you've really branched out lately, and it's been exciting to watch. Your dad and I LOVE to hear you talk about the people at school and the things you did during your day. Now that you have homework, I've been pleasantly surprised at how well you cooperate to get it done and how independent you are. Last time when I was trying to help you write your name you said, "Please leave me alone." I hope that's the way it always goes with homework! (Yeah, right.)

Your emotions are still quite big, but you are becoming a little more rational every day. You are a special soul and a unique child, and I mean that in the best way. Parenting you has been the biggest challenge of my life, an incredible test of patience and the most rewarding thing I've ever done. You are the sweetest thing...a never-ending fountain of hugs and kisses and "I love yous." You love your baby brother (usually), your dad is your hero and you live for your snuggles with mom. I adore everything about our family, and the joy, love and laughter that you bring to us is unique and special and just really wonderful. What a journey it's been. I think this coming year will be your best one yet, and I cannot wait to see where it brings you. Happy birthday, Sweet Gavin James!