He's five. Five! I can hardly believe it.
Last night I kissed my 4 year old goodnight for the last time. Earlier in the evening when we were at church, I had my arm around him while we were singing and I leaned in close and whispered, "This is the last time I'll be singing with my 4 year old boy." He looked up at me with the sweetest smile and it was only when he tilted his chin up a little more that I noticed he'd stuck some sparkly blue stickers inside his nose. And that is Josh. He brings so much laughter and joy into our home. I thank God for making this little guy and for giving him to me.
What a gift these five years with him have been,
When I think over the past year, there are so many incredible moments with this guy. Moments that have made me laugh, and moments where I've realized what an amazing, insightful, smart boy my son is. When kids' birthdays role around you always wish you'd written down more stuff about the past year. Because it's gone. The moments come and go and then they're forgotten. But even in the past couple months there have been so many funny little moments that haven't yet eroded from memory.
So here are a few of them. Just in case, on Josh's wedding day, we need to remember some wonderful, light-hearted stories to recount. :)
There was that time the three kids and I were driving to Ikea together and I heard Josh say to his siblings, "Okay, guys, lets play The Quiet Game. Here are my rules: no talking, but you're allowed to fart, burp, and breathe."
Or a few weeks back on Josh's first day of school at WCCA, when I first put his tie on him and, as he glanced at his dapper appearance, grinned, and then said with the perfect twang, "Hello, Ladies!"
Then there was that other time a couple weeks back when we were all in the car together and Justin was asking the kids what they thought they wanted to be when they grew up. Josh's response: "I think I either want to be a hunter or a vet."
One of Justin's favorite little Joshisms is this: whenever Josh is referring to something that happened in the evening of the day before, he uses the word "yesternight." It's logical.
Josh, if you're one day reading this, I want to remind you of something you probably won't forget any time soon, something that happened during this little 5 year old birthday photo shoot. You fell backwards and almost toppled into the Humber River. It was right after I snapped the picture above. Do you remember? You were so mad at me, appropriately blaming this wild fall on my picture taking. Do you remember how I ran over and literally grabbed your foot and pulled you back up? And then when I called it an adventure and told you I'd saved you, you promptly (and rightly) pointed out that it was my fault you almost fell into the river in the first place. Well, as you wiped away tears I told you that one day you and I would laugh about this together, that you'd find it funny, that we'd both grow to love this story. You were bewildered at why this would ever, ever be funny. "NEVER, Mommy! Never will I find this funny." Well, my son... what about now?
Oh Josh, I can't believe you're five years old. Every day with you has been a gift. You've brought more laughter, more joy, more love to this family than we deserve. We love you so much, little man. Honestly, we can't imagine what life would be like without you. We'd laugh a whole lot less, that's for sure.
There are so many things I love about you, Joshua James Galotti. You're clever, perceptive, hard working. You're funny and love to make people laugh. You're tender, compassionate, and kind.
Josh, keep on loving people; keep on learning and growing and exploring your world; keep on making people laugh.
There are so many things that we hope and pray for the life ahead of you, Joshua. But more than anything else, we pray that one day you would be given the gift of faith; that you would put your trust in Jesus and have everlasting life.
We love you so much.
Happy Birthday, Josh!
