Birthdays are always such a special day for me. Not just my own but those in my life whom I cherish. The celebration of the day you came into this world and the appreciation for being in my life. Dex turned 5 this month while with his bio mom so we decided to celebrate it this past Saturday. Of course not ideal for anyone at the present time when we’re all confined to our homes and dared to venture out more than we need to. It also didn’t help that it was surprisingly very cold and extremely windy. But somehow, Dex, Vince, and their cousin Ley made the absolute most of it. They were outside the whole time in coats and had a blast jumping on the trampoline, digging holes in the yard, and using their imagination with whatever toys they could find from the shed. I also bought 5 cans of silly string, butterfly nets, punch balloons, and a foam airplane (thank you Dollar Store) so in their minds there was tons to do.
Like any other parent, I always find myself reflecting on the past years when it’s their birthday. Dex is no different. He’s always had an eye for being stylish and that was no different when he picked out this cute long sleeved shirt over a batman one – he clearly wanted to look good for his day. Dex has also been the most difficult one over the past few years. As a step child going back and forth between a solid consistent family environment and the wild wild west, he’s struggled with finding his independence and holding on to his baby like ways. But each week we get him back he slowly gets better and better and surprises us all.
Dex has also been the quicker one with things. He was potty trained at our house towards the end of age 2, he’s already reading which has blown our minds on more than one occasion (Thank you ABC Mouse), and he is already trying to get his training wheels off. He’s such a rebel little boy, always looking for a dangerous rock to climb on when we’re hiking or pouncing on his dad for a wrestle.
He’s such a great helper too! My heart always melts when he asks to help cook breakfast or dinner. He’s always wanting to sweep or mop the floors and I’ve seen many moments where he takes initiative to clean something up or put something back. He’s an amazing little boy who has been surprising us quite a lot lately with his ideas, vocabulary, and his independence. My hope is that he continues to flourish and I know Carlos and I work our tails off to make sure that happens.
5 is such a cray time! He’s going to be starting kindergarten, going to the same school as his big brother now. He’ll probably hit a growth spurt and I’ll finally have to get rid of all his tiny cute clothes. He’s going to start talking more and expressing himself more – which I feel is always an adjustment. When you’re used to a child being young in mind and then they suddenly have all these thoughts and opinions, I always find this catching me off guard. He’s going to start getting too heavy to carry – not that we’re carrying him around anyway but Carlos loves to pick him up and cradle him… no way he’s doing that with Vince these days. And he’ll finally be old enough to do a lot of extra curricular things that he was slightly too young for before.
I’m super excited for him and all that he will learn and do in the coming year. Being a stepmom is no easy walk in the park but he gives me joy through all his silly little giggles and outbursts of personality. I am so proud of all the growing and accomplishments he’s had in such a tiny amount of time.
Happy Birthday Dex!
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