10.20.13 Dear Alex, Today is your ninth birthday. Wow. Some people tell me – “you’re halfway done!” I don’t see it that way – I don’t see my job as a Mother as ever “done”. But I cry every single birthday. It always goes back to the same thing. You are truly the first human being that is male that has ever made me feel loved unconditionally. Adult men cannot help it – they have these expectations for their wives, girlfriends, daughters, et cetera – and no one can compare. Adult women do this too. Adults do this. Children don’t care if you bounce a check, gain ten pounds or wreck the family car. They just love you for being you – let you be human – and genuinely want you to be happy like they are. At least that has been my experience with you. Last week we took you and your best friend Colby to Great Wolf Lodge again this year. We paid hundreds of dollars to stay there and then play this interactive magic quest game. Mommy nearly died after the first two hours that night of running around the hotel (literally). Daddy took pity on me and took over – and then let me sleep late the next day while he took you guys to the pancake breakfast, the water park and then we all met up at the arcade. You and Colby are of a tech generation – with *devices*. You now have two Nintendo DS game players, an Android tablet and your first Apple product as of this year – an iPod. You got this from your Gigi and Grandpa Grayson. You LOVE it. So when you boys weren’t talking, you were both buried into your individual headphones and devices playing games or listening to music. It’s odd to see 9 year olds look like what I remember 15 year olds to look like. This weekend your Grandma Jackie and Great Aunt Ginneatte came to see you for your actual birthday. With a bit of peer pressure from your European ancestors, you drank your first sip of wine/alcohol in life. You said what a Mom fears the most “wow, that wasn’t that bad!” ;) You Daddy drinks not at all and your Mom drinks wine occasionally now (she’s old and burned out from drinking) but that’s about it. We can only hope you never feel a need to escape or resort to it for *fun*. I guess we always hope the generations after us are improved, refined, stronger than we were/are. You certainly show evidence of that with me – you are a far better person now than I ever was until I began to develop more in my latter 20s. Past the iPod, you got a bunch of giftcards for your bday including iTunes and some cash cards where you immediately picked up the latest version of SKYLANDERS SWAP FORCE. I think you’re secretly thrilled to finally beat your techno buddy Colby to getting something “first”. ;) Your Grandpa Grayson bought you some science fiction since you’ve discovered that in the last year (we just finished H.G. Wells “War of the Worlds”) and Gigi gave you a book card and you bought the rest of the “Percy Jackson” series. There are few words for how happy it makes your Literature major Mom to watch you walk past the toys and crap at the front of the bookstore and spend all your money on actual books – hard books – ahead of your age books – no picture books. REAL BOOKS. You even like hardcovers and are nostalgic about dragging a book around instead of an e-reader. *big dreamy proud Mommy sigh* Last night we met the family for a Mexican food dinner so you could get your favorite – queso – and see your cousin Baby Benjamin. He was adorable, a little over a year old now, and watching him extend his neck so his parents could tickle him was pure joy. You handled your grumpy Grandpa Grayson well when he wanted you to have something of *meaning* as your screen saver instead of a photo of your baby cousin. Your ability to see past his judgment, be ok with your own choices and keep them – also makes me prouder than you can imagine. Mariachis sang you happy birthday and you gave your chocolate away to your parents since you don’t like it. This morning, your ACTUAL birthday, you woke me up like it was Christmas morning for the birthday presents from us. We went and got stuff to make your birthday cake today (carrot cake with cream cheese coconut frosting) and picked up donuts and bacon for your birthday breakfast! Then we opened yet more gifts. You got a giant ANGRY BIRDS Space 30 watt speaker with sub-woofer and bass for your iPod. You LOVE it and it’s so nice to have music playing in the house all the time and not everyone off on their own trip with their own headphones. You also got a Dallas Cowboys football jersey, a Big Bang Trivia board game (one of your most favorite shows) and a Pokemon box of cards and figurines of which you obtained to AWESOME (to quote you) cards for your now over 4,0000 card collection. Then you took the extra cash your aunt Pat sent you and bought some crazy colored neon Addidas tennis shoes. Firehouse Subs for lunch and now you’re playing games in your room on the iPod with your new speaker, wearing your jersey and new shoes. To think Christmas is only 2 months away – what is left?! You are in third grade, your best friend is Colby, you watch Big Bang Theory, the Walking Dead, Regular Show and Adventure time regularly. And Modern Family! You still make mostly As with an occasional B, play tennis and jog with Dad on the weekends. Your shoe size is bigger than mine now (WOW!) and you’re about 3 inches away from being taller than me. You are gorgeous and smart and sweet and the best thing that has ever happened to me. Still. MUAH!! (kiss) Love, Mommy