Oh, Thomas!

You're just so not shy, vibrant child of mine.  If it's a thought in your head, it's rushing out of your mouth or being put into action with your hands.  Your have  audacious ambitions and you love big words.  Details and definitions are inconsequential and irksome.

You are currently planning to purchase a plot of land a little way up the road.  You're intent on planting lots of strawberries, blueberry bushes, pumpkins, and watermelon on the land.  Your Daddy and I shake our heads because we know you don't have a firm grasp on what $40,000 means and you're diligently putting some of your allowance aside for the big purchase.

That you want in time for the Spring planting season.

You've also hatched a plan to earn money so that you can fly to Costa Rica and visit one of your since-birth-buddies after his family moves there.  You have a shoe box full of notes you've made and services you can offer to folks around you and how many quarters to charge them per service.  You were thrilled when I said I'd pay for your passport.  The hug you squeezed me into nearly broke me in half.

Because, not only are you always thinking, you're growing like a wild thing and you are so strong.  You can almost pick me up off the ground!  I love you and your raucous affection.

I also love listening to you as you tell me about your first crush and the thoughts and struggles you are experiencing with that.  I have been so proud of the way you have handled it all, though I must admit I giggle when you and your sister, Sarah Grace, talk about it in voices that are no where near as quiet as you think they are.  I love that you share this aspect of your life with not only your Daddy and me, but trust your sister with it, too.

You are funny and full of life.  Your baby brother adores you and wants to be where you are, doing what your doing.  You have almost endless patience with him!

You are watching your Daddy closely and modeling many of your ways after him, though you are still very much different from him.  I listened to you lament about how you can't wait to have chest hair like your Daddy and my heart skipped a little when I realized you're already to a point in your life that you're thinking about things like chest hair and shaving.

And then you come barreling through the house on your way to the garage to figure out one of your building projects.  As you gallop through the kitchen, you yell, "Apparently I'm not as smart as I thought I was!" and I know that your still a little boy.  Mercy knows in a few more years, that phrase won't even have real estate in your mind, never mind it being said aloud!

But those days can wait...I'm enjoying the you I have right now.