Happy 5th Birthday, Bean!

Happy Birthday, My dear, sweet Bean!

I can't believe you are five! You are such a big boy now. It seems like only yesterday I was writing your first birthday letter. Where did the time go??

This has been an exciting year with a lot of changes and adjustments. Our family has been adjusting to having two children. Most of the time you are happy, loving and protective of your brother. Other times you are annoyed that you can no longer build structures on the floor or bring tiny toys downstairs. It is not always easy dealing with younger siblings. I know from experience. I was the oldest in my family too. I do see some signs that you guys will be great friends though. You like to be the first one to greet Tito when he wakes from a nap. There are more and more times that the two of you interact and have fun together. You love to make your brother laugh. Sometimes I feel a little guilty that I cannot always play with you or always be the one to put you to sleep, but I think you are adjusting pretty well to having a brother.

This year you started PreK at Montessori Education Center. You were super excited the first couple of days, but by Friday of week one, you hid your head under your pillow and said you didn't want to go. For the most part, you seem to be enjoying school. You have made some good friends and do a great job listening to your teachers. You have learned to recognize the alphabet in cursive and know all the letter sounds. You are well on your way to reading. Of course, you do well with math and numbers.

I think you might be a little overwhelmed with going to school everyday and having dance class twice a week. You have complained about not wanting to go to dance. I told you you didn't have to go, but then we couldn't go back and you would not be able to do the recital. You said, "No, I want to go to dance, I just want to cut out one day of school in the middle of the week." You are quite a problem solver and negotiator! This year you are still taking acro dance and are also taking a ballet/tap class.

You do very well with following all of your teachers instructions. We are very proud of you. At home, we are having some challenging times though. You are definitely testing your boundaries and learning to deal with big emotions. Sometimes Tata and I don't know the best way to handle things, but we try hard to keep learning how to help you grow. We worry we aren't always doing things the right way. Right now you often defy what we say and argue with us. I think you sometimes think you are the grown up. There have been times that I have lost my patience and feel guilty or feel like I'm not a good mom and just don't know what to do. I hope you will forgive me for the mistakes I make along the way. We are all definitely learning together. You are my heart and I want the best for you.

Mostly, I want you to know how much we love you. There is nothing you could do to ever change that. There are so many things I love about you. You are a bright and caring boy. You are very creative and have a unique way of thinking. I look forward to what the next year has in store for us.

I love you, Beanie Bub!

Mama