8 It Is

My darling Little Man the Elder,

It is that time again. Another year is coming to pass. While I am not glad to see you get older, I think am glad to close the door on year 7. 6 ended with such high hopes, but 7 was completely opposite. It was a rough year to the last day. 

I think I will flip-flop this letter. Last I ended on a bit of sad note, and I want to end on the silver linings we have. Last year started off sad with our beloved M going into hospice. I didn't get to spend any of your birthday with you at all because I was at the hospital getting all the arrangements made, and you were asleep when I got home that night. She passed away on one of your favorite holidays, July 4th, and this really hit you hard. With all the craziness of the funeral, getting her stuff packed away, and school starting, we never got a chance to stop and take things in as a family. My sensitive one-you have felt the void of her being gone more than anyone else. You are still processing it even today. We really had hoped this would be the worst to weather, but we soon found there was more. 

2nd grade was definitely not as smooth as 1st. You had been really hoping that you would get Ms. Y because you thought she was the coolest, but it was not to be. You ended up being with the perfect teacher for you, Mrs. B. You took a long time to trust her for some reason; it was probably because she was pushing you more and more. When you finally started trusting her, we started to see you bloom more. Too bad it was really starting as Covid-19 decided to come into the picture, but we will get to that in a bit. 

The fall brought some brightness. L became officially ours in September, and our family finally felt finished. Grandma E and Grandpa R were perfect additions to our family, and they helped fill some of those voids in our family. We got to go to San Antonio to spend time with family and watch one of your favorite cousins J get married. We stopped in Waco to see Baylor which fueled your love for it more. You loved getting to see the Catholic ceremony even if you had trouble getting through the whole thing. You also got to go on your first trip down the Riverwalk, and we visited the Alamo. You enjoyed getting talk to some of the actors about their weapons and what happened there. You also loved the statues. 

The year was really an emotional roller coaster. Around Christmas, more seemed to roll in. It really was a "when it rains, it pours" once 2020 came. In February, your other favorite person, great-aunt S or the Great One as we was known, passed away. We had finally gotten over one of the major grief humps when it happened, so you kind of spiraled again. She really was your buddy, and she got you on so many levels that others did not. After she passed, I realized more than ever that you were her kindred spirit. You was the more extrovert one like she was, and you have her gift for gab. We also lost our sweet kitty as well. You weren't exactly attached to her, but she had always been there as we had her before you were. You lost your new friends across the street this spring when they moved to Rockwall. You started to worry everyone you loved might leave you. 

Being a June baby, your birth years always cross over two years. You started 7 in 2019, and you end it in 2020 which has been a bit of chaotic mess of a year so far. Your generation will be defined of what is happening as you exit year 7, Covid-19. There have been minor pandemic type viruses before in your life-Swine Flu, H1N1, etc, but nothing is quite like this. Around the end of February/beginning of March, Covid-19 began shutting down the world. You went on Spring Break, and you never got to go back. This was really hard for the extrovert that you are. Distance Learning was definitely an issue, and we do not think you grew quite as much as you could have in a classroom environment. It was hard to keep up with things because we were still working while trying to homeschool you and keep L alive. As I write this, we are still the heart of all this. Life has become a new normal to us. Even celebrating your birthday was hard. We had a parade rather than a party. You have been craving so much the human interaction. We keep hoping things are coming to an end, but we have had to scrap all kinds of plans including our big Disney cruise twice. We don't even know at this point what will happen with your 3rd grade year. 

Even with so much up in the air and disappointment, we have silver linings. We have gotten you to grow so much. You are definitely showing more leanings to Daddy than me. You have less than a foot until we are the same height! You have become such a good big brother as well. It definitely is not all roses with you two together. Lots of screaming, yelling, and tears! However, you are also gentle, patient, and loving with him. No spit dropping like Daddy and Uncle R. While it is still hard, you are slowly developing in your reading ability. You still love to listen to books. Daddy swears if you ever start reading on your own that we will never see you again.  You developed your love of history more with adding an obsession with Ancient Egypt and King Tut. You also are showing more interest in drawing and art. Your test in musical theater is also growing, and you have added "Six" to your list of favorites like Hamilton and Descendants. We hope in year 8 that you will grow into someone who can cope better with the pressures. Resilience is really becoming a key thing to you. This is truly as time of transition, and I think you are ready for it. 

Year 8 will really become a year of transitions. You will have your last recital because you have decided to not dance next year. I am a little sad because I know you love it and have potential, but until your heart is there like other things, you won't progress the way you should. We are doing what we can to get you help to become more successful. You are entering the later half of elementary, and things are getting serious in school with state testing. You may try something new like karate or playing an instrument, but we will have to get schooling under control first. We hoping to finally do some more traveling. We had hoped to do the Disney Cruise before the end of the year, but Covid again had its say in it. We had to push things out again until next summer, and we will be on the ship for your birthday next year. Who knows what this year will hold, but like always I hope to be better at chronically than I have been this year! I leave things off here. While it is not the exact time, we have now entered the day as it is after midnight. I love you my crazy pants! I hope you rock this new year. 

Love, 

Mommy

New Traditions

Dear My Littlest One,
I feel like I have been a horrible mommy at keeping memories for you! I meant to do my first letter to you on the eve of your birthday like I do for your Bubba, but tonight seems more appropriate. Tomorrow, we will celebrate the first anniversary of your Gotcha Day. It is hard to believe that it has only been a year because from day one, you just fit so perfectly.

I remember driving home on this night a year ago. We had just finished Bubba's student lead conference, and he and I were in the car on the way home when our social worker, Ms. A, called. I was a bit surprised because it was after 7, and I knew it had to be a big deal. She asked me how we felt about an 18 month older boy and gave me some basic info about you. I told her I was on the way home, and I needed to talk to Daddy first. I got home, and we had a quick chat. We quickly made the decision that Ms. A could show our profile book (remind me to show it to you some day). We had been waiting for you for almost a year with our agency, so we were not expecting what would come next. When I called Ms. A back to say go ahead and show the book, she told us it was a good thing because your social worker had already picked us! After that, we crazily rushed around to get some items we needed like a car seat and finish prepping your room. We had just finished putting it together the Sunday beforehand. We could hardly believe what was happening.

At first, we were just going to meet with your case worker, and then the next thing we knew you were coming to us the very next day. Ms. A sent me a picture, and we feel in love with you even before you got here. When your social worker arrived, you were just waking up, but you came to me immediately and snugged in. We had been waiting for you for almost 7 years, and we could not believe that you were here. We had to spend lots of time signing papers and getting information from your social worker, and when everyone was gone, we finally got a chance to settle in. I went to go get Bubba, and he was so excited to meet you. We were finally a whole family. I also got to talk to Grandpa R on the way home from getting Bubba, and Grandma E and he were excited to know we were welcoming them as well.

Over the next couple of days, you began to settle in, but it was rough because you hated sleeping! It took a rough month or so before you seemed to finally feel comfortable. You bonded well with Daddy, and we quickly learned you loved outside, cars, and being crazy. We also found that you were a super picky eater! You would have nothing to do with anything that was the color brown, and you basically ate nothing when you first came. You pretty much just wanted milk and cheese. You adored and loved your Bubba from the moment you two meet as well. You constantly wanted to do what he was doing. It has taken you a bit longer to bond with me, but it seems like we are finally to the point that our connection is happening.

This year has been a whirlwind of changes. When you got here, you mostly pointed and grunted at things, and now you chatter away about everything especially when it is your "purple car" (hint-all cars are purple cars right now. Your tastes in food is larger, but you are definitely a Picky Nicky when it comes to food. You love all things with salt and tang. Onion bagels and nuts are some of your favorite foods. You are a strange kiddo who does not eat chocolate, cookies, cakes, and candy. The only sweet thing you seem to like is vanilla ice cream. You love to try things though, but you prefer to feed others.

We discovered early on that you loved music, and you are learning to sing your little songs. "Baby Shark" was your obsession at first, but you moved on to "We Will Rock You." Now you love to sing a few lines from "Let It Go" at the top of your lungs in our two story foyer. Bubba is not a fan in any way. You also love "Wheels on the Bus" and "Happy If  You Know It". Your little hooray when you are singing is too adorable.

While you love cars and jumping on your trampoline, your ultimate favorites are Mickey Mouse and Elsa from "Frozen" (or Elso as you call her). You started out liking Elmo at first, but then a flip switched when we started watching Mickey's Clubhouse. You adore Mickey Roadster and will watch it for house. "Frozen" and "Toy Story" were the first two movies we watched that you made it through. You also loved "Cars" and the live action "Lady and the Tramp" as well. However, "Frozen" captivated you from moment one. We started adding Mickey and Disney elements a little bit at a time. You also love animals. You get so excited when you see dogs out in the neighborhood. You are very much all boy, and I swear we will be in the ER several times with you. We can definitely see now what a true toddler is like.

While you were always ours from day one, we made you an official Barnhart in September. It was exciting because Grammy, Grandpa R, and Grandma E joined us on this day, and we are so glad we have created this new little family. We took you to your first Renaissance Faire in the spring, and you got to have a family/framily filled Mickey party which is funny because your Bubba's first birthday party was Mickey as well. You found fast kindred spirits with little Miss L and Miss A. You are really smack dab in the middle of them, and you love having built in friends. You got to meet lots of extended family in September when J and J got married in San Antonio, and we had our first road trip as a family. You got super excited for Christmas as well. Santa definitely spoiled Bubba and you so much. You also got to go to the aquarium, our pumpkin patch, and the zoo. You loved going on adventures. While it took you a moment, you were super excited about Trick-or-Treating once you figured it out. You also got to enjoy snow for the first time, and your first passport arrived a couple of weeks ago.

Most recently, you have started being excited about reading books, and your favorite seems to be Bubba's old puppy book. You love to make the doggie lift his leg to go pee. You also love to sleep in bed with us. When we switched you to a toddler bed, you started toddling in to be with us-you came before when you were in the crib as well. Daddy and I are thankful we got that king bed because sometimes it is all four of us plus our dog D. You love to eat all my food when you get a chance, and we love to see what you might actually eat. Your favorite is pizza for sure.

Where shall the next year go for you? We have so many new adventures planned. This summer we will take you to Disney for the first time. You are excited to meet Mickey and the gang as well as Elso, Olaf, and Anna.You will go on an airplane, and you will leave the country when we go on the cruise. You will get to see the beach and your first ocean/sea. We are excited to hear all the new words that you will learn as well. You finally started saying "love you too" in such an adorable way. You are so intrigued with learning new things and exploring, so we know we will be on our toes.

It is late little one, and I must pause here to head to bed. I assume when I get there that you will be snuggled on your tummy in the middle of the bed, but maybe this will be a night for your own bed. As cliche as it is, you are truly our missing piece, and we are finally whole with you. I can't wait to see you grow into who you will be, and I am so happy that our lives were forever changed this time last year.

Love you always and forever,
Mommy