He's SIX!

My boy turned 6 today. He spent his birthday running a fever of 103 and sleeping the day away. No worries though, we are celebrating all week and he will definitely get his share of love and attention.

For some reason this birthday has made me emotional and I couldn't let the day end without jotting down some of the things that make Caden so special to me.

He is a sensitive and thoughtful little boy. Not too long ago I had gotten my hair trimmed and it was a bit on the short side (I felt like a boy and yes I was being dramatic). I was noticeably upset and Caden overheard me crying to Scott about how bad I thought it was. On the car ride home Caden piped up from the back seat that he loved my new haircut and he was sure everyone else was going to love it too. I explained that I just wanted to get home and redo the whole thing and asess the damage. As soon as we walked in the door, he followed me to the bathroom and sat and watched the entire time I re-washed, dried and styled my hair. With the biggest smile, he wrapped his arms around me and said, "see mom, I told you it looks good".

We were checking out at Costco last week and he was watching the man scan my groceries and place them back in my cart. Caden looked up at me with tears in his eyes and told me that he was never going to grow up and get a job because he wouldn't know how to get back home to me after work and he was too scared to drive.

He is a MASTER negotiator. I'm not sure who he learned this from but the boy can work a good deal. It is very common for him to negotiate how many bites he will take of something he doesn't like, what time he goes to bed and if he can watch a movie before he falls asleep, how long he has to read before he can play and what chores he will do for various rewards. A few years back the nursery leaders nicknamed him the "CEO" of nursery. He always has an agenda, a plan, a backup plan and he's very comfortable in leadership positions. I worry about these traits during his childhood, but I am very grateful for a son that is strong willed and willing to be the leader. I know these traits, along with his tender side, will serve him well as he gets older.

He is independent, always has been. When he was little, he would play by himself for hours and he is still like that. When I was pregnant with Abbie and sick/tired in the beginning stages, Caden would get up around 6:30 each morning, grab his sippy from the lower shelf in the fridge where we would leave it the night before and turn a movie on in his room. He never tried to wake me up and I knew he would be just fine until I was ready to get up and get going which sometimes took quite awhile. He wasn't the kind of kid to make messes or really get into anything. He knew his limits in our house and he rarely tried to push them.

He's funny, really funny. Caden and Scott use to have what they called "milk time with daddy" which was the half hour before his bedtime when he would get his sippy, cuddle up with Scott on the couch and watch Seinfeld. Seriously, every single night my three year old would watch an episode and he laughed at all the right parts (maybe the laugh tracks helped). His sense of humor has always seemed a bit mature for his age and I blame Seinfeld.

When we dropped Doug off at the MTC curb, everyone was getting emotional and right as Doug turns and walks away Caden leans on Papa Chip and says, "Boy, he sure grew up fast, didn't he"? Classic Caden. It lightened the mood and gave us all something to remember.

He's inquisitive and a deep thinker. As much as his non-stop questions drive me crazy sometimes, I love that he is curious, always collecting information and piecing things together. A few weeks ago he asked me if mosquitos suck our blood and if it hurts. When I told him yes, he then asked if Heavenly Father created the mosquitos. When I replied yes again he wanted to know why Heavenly Father would create something that would hurt us. Hmmm. I let Papa Jay answer that one!

Caden is very interested in death. He constantly wants to know what happens when someone dies and we have had lots of talks about resurrection and living together as families in heaven. Lately he is really concerned with what happens to him and Abbie when Scott and I die. I told him it wouldn't happen until he is much older and they would each have a family of their own to be with. He told me he would still want Abbie to live with him and be his sister and that he would take care of her, BUT he wouldn't make her eat soup for dinner.

As strange as this sounds, Caden is not just my son, he is my friend. I love spending time with him and living in "his world" even if it's only for little bits here and there. He sees things very clearly and his innocence and purity refreshes me. I am so grateful for the role he plays in our family and that I was blessed with the opportunity and privilege to be his mother.

Happy Birthday Bubby, I love you!