reading, writing and rithmatic

This is really written to Toby to read a later point where he will care about my sappy ravings about him. But feel free to enjoy as well.

Toby, you amaze me. Every day with you is a huge adventure and your sense of playfulness makes most of my bad days better and my good days become incredible. When I was pregnant with you I never really took the time to dream about the man you would become, or even to consider the boy that would get you there. And I'm glad because you have blown any expectations I would ever have come up with clear out of the water.

Today you are 3 years, 4 months and 2 days old. To make you happy, we'll round it up to 3 and a half. And on the way home from school today I had the joy of watching you learn about syllables and how to count out how many were in words. Then I was in awe as you remembered all of the words we counted through to repeat later.

When I take you to the store you are so desperate to know how to add that you make the numbers on the shelves into math equations. $5.99 turns into 5+9=9. Every once in a blue moon you get one right but I love how you keep trying, every single time.

And letters! I almost laughed myself into a fit when your teacher Mr. Tyheem was telling me how we needed to work on your grip so you could learn to write a little better... apparently they didn't realize you were doing all of that with your non-dominant hand! Stinker! Every day I watch you learn to spell a new word and bathtime used to just be for bathing but now it is a learning adventure with spelling all the words you know and then putting letters together to try to spell ones you aren't sure about. Very soon you will be reading on your own and spelling out words we don't want you to know won't be so effective.

I love that God blessed me with such a special child. I love that you don't have a clue that you are leaps and bounds ahead of the kids in your class but that you just love them for being who they are. In the years to come you are going to challenge me more than I have ever been challenged and force me to know more than I ever thought I would need to know. But for today when you are 3 years, 4 months and 2 days old; I can just rejoice in the fact that you are a little boy who loves his mommy and how your little face lights up when I come to the door of your class. I love you buddy!