Happy Birthday, Eamon

Eamon,

At four, you love to dress up. You will wear your sister's clothes, your daddy's clothes, your dress up clothes - pretty much anything is fair game. You have no qualms about your outfits. You are not self-conscious, and you wear everything with panache. Often you can be spotted at the park, library or zoo in an eclectic ensemble. This week you wore a dinosaur costume to the park, daddy's shirt and Aine's tights to the library, and a sweater vest with a button down to the zoo. Your favorite is to dress as a firefighter. You wear white cocktail gloves paired with a hat, striped socks and a kimono. It is priceless.

You continue your love of all things Thomas. You play with your trains all the time. You like to take them outside in the sand and dirt. Often the tricycle is your own personal train. You will drive Aine around the bak yard on the tricycle. She thinks it is grand fun. Occasionally you wear your conductor's hat for these jaunts. You talk of buffers, rails, diesel, electric, coal and a myriad of other train terms. GrandDad keeps you on your toes by looking at old magazines with trains.

Books are another passion. You can "read" your books for hours. I will find you reading to your sister in your room or in the booknook. You enjoy the library and always ask how many books we can buy. Currently Greek mythology inspires you. You want us to read about the myths with you. You ask many questions as you ponder the world of Olympus and the ancients explanations of the world.

You vocabulary and verbal skills are amazing. You talk a lot and have a lot to say. It is always a treat to hear you explain things, negotiate with Aine or just tell me you love me.

It is tough to keep you inside most days. You love hanging out in the backyard with Ava and Aine. You help with the garden, letting me know when our plants are ready for harvest. Sometimes you harvest by yourself. You are so proud of your garden finds that it is tough to be too upset with the scrawny carrot, green oranges and thin beet. You enjoy climbing trees and are quite skilled. Lizards, bees, bugs, and birds are on your radar. You will collect dead bugs to study with the magnifying glass. Your curiousity is never-ending.

Your sister is your constant companion. The two of you play well together. You wait for her to join you. On the slide, you ask her to sit on your lap. Your laughter echoes throughout the day only occasionally punctuated with cries of injustice on both of your parts. The skirmishes are quickly forgotten and you are on to new escapades.

Your cousins are very important to you, especially Ashlyn. You tell anyone who will listen that she is your friend, and she is four. I think you are happiest to be four, because you will be her age. You love to visit her and yearn for her visits with you. I hope you can forever be this close.

You have a gentle heart, Eamon. You are compassionate and caring. You have an adventurous spirit; an insatiable curiousity and a streak of hijinks. You are an amazing child with an amazing mind. It is hard to believe that four years ago you entered our lives. My journey into motherhood began with you, and it has been a wonderful trip. You have been such a wonderful addition and you are loved more than you will ever know.