Happy Birthday, Isaiah {You are Five}. Yes, you’re holding up one full hand now.

How are you this old already, buddy?

Happy Birthday, Isaiah {You are Five}

Here are all your previous birthday letters, Zay:

1. Happy Birthday, Isaiah {You are One}
2. {You are Two}
3. Happy Birthday, Isaiah {You are Three}
4. {You are Four}

And today is five.

Dear Isaiah,

Last night when we got home, you immediately removed your seatbelt and jumped to the front of my vehicle. You wanted to jump out of the passenger’s seat.

I told you it was not safe to jump out of mama’s car like that, but you chose to do it your way.

As you went to leap fast out of the vehicle, you mis-step and landed right on your kneecap. You screamed, and for a second I thought you’d be spending your 5th birthday in the hospital.

We brought you in the house, and after some time, realized you would be okay with an icing.

And that about sums up our past year together.

You are strong-willed (like your sister, Maya), never second guessing, and always doing the opposite of what we say.

The bumps, bruises, scrapes, and band-aids that cover you are proof.

But even still, you have the oldest, sweetest soul. And you’re doing your very best each day.

These are some of the things you love:

1. Watching ‘Ryan’s playdate’
2. Trolls
3. Frozen – but currently only Frozen 2, not 1
4. Your Paw Patrol bike
5. Throwing things (but we don’t love the amount of things that break because of it!)
6. Georgie
7. Fruit – apples, grapes, and strawberries (and fruit cocktail) are your current faves
8. Screaming
9. Jumping
10. Boating with daddy
11. Doing mama’s hair like Elsa
12. iPad
13. Going out to eat – well, eating in general!
14. Reading books, especially with daddy
15. Trains, trains, and more trains (and garbage trucks and fire trucks)
16. Dressing in dresses with your sisters and taking care of babies with them, too
17. Telling stories
18. Leading younger children
19. Singing
20. Saying “Kristi Millers”

Your Laugh

Your laugh is so contagious, and even at 5, you still chuckle like Woody Wood Pecker.

I don’t know many people who have met you that don’t think you’re just “something else –” a funny, love-able, and totally charismatic boy.

Here are some things you said about me when prompted for Mother’s Day….

1. My mom has white hair.
2. She weighs 8 pounds.
3. My mom loves to watch the Bachelor.
4. I love my mom because she dreams about daddy singing in his bed.
5. Mom likes to say, “I’m baaaaack!”
6. My mom is really good at going up to the sky but she doesn’t like that so she goes on a walk with Georgie.

Daddy asked Maya, “If I could go anywhere in the world with her, we’d go….” Maya responded, “bye-bye to Owatonna with mommy and Georgie.”

Daddy told me you were very quick to respond by yelling at her, “NOOO! You cannot go on a plane! That is just me and mommy’s special time! When we get dropped off at the airport daddy has to find 3-year old girls and you can go with them! We don’t want you to bother us!”

And there are two final things I want to share with you, buddy.

I See You, Zay

When daddy asked you what mommy understands, you replied:

She understands daddy, me, Amiya and Sam.

And this is so true.

I work very hard, on a daily basis, to understand you. I’m guilty of not understanding you fully, but I understand the things that matter. And if there is one thing this past year of your life has shown me it’s that to understand you the best we can is to love and accept you just as you are.

We removed you from a school who didn’t understand you, and if I’m being perfectly honest, it was THE BEST thing daddy and I did for you this past year.

You’re now in places where people understand, listen, care, and appreciate who you are.

I see you and I do understand, Zay.

She Loves…..

And finally, when daddy prompted you with, “she loves…..” you filled it in with,

me so much…really, really so much!

You got it, buddy. I really do. We all do.

p.s. With all the Covid closures currently, your birthday might look a little different today. You’ve already said you either want the Boat House takeout (shocking! ha) or McDonald’s and then ice cream. The simple pleasures of your life.

Join the magic and chaos.

Love always, Mama