To Milo:

 Happy Birthday to my favorite five-year old.  I woke up earlier than my alarm this morning because I too was so excited about your birthday.  Today will be a good day, thanks to you.  The past five years have been full of good days, thanks to you.

Milo, I love the many things that encompass YOU.  I love your passion for costumes and character play.  I love it when you say, "Guess who I am?" and I have to make a quick assessment of your outfit (blue rainboots?  Elsa.  Red sweatshirt with hood up? Elliott.  Red sweatshirt with hood down?  Annie.  Green outfit? Chris Kratt. Red shoes? Ted ("The Lorax").  It gets tricky when your outfit isn't any different or when you're a character from a show I haven't seen, but I love it even when you get really frustrated that I don't know the name and just shout: "Just tell me who I am!"

I love your ability to do puzzles and put Legos together that is beyond your years and I love that you correct my ability to follow Lego instructions as sweetly as your dad does and with none of the smugness that I have.

I love your utter disdain for sports and balls and your complete confidence in that.  

I love that you are immune to other's judgments and thoughts and how you march to your own beat at all times.

I love your love for books and that 99.6% of the time, you are ready to sit down and read a story.  I love that you respect books and don't tear the pages out, that you know what the book covers look like because you've read them so many times, and that you ask me what words and expressions mean because you're really listening.

I love it when you drink your "big milk" and seemingly meditate the whole time.

I love that you love female protagonists as much as male protagonists.

I love your sense of humor and your willingness to laugh at yourself when you do something silly.  I love that you like to tease us.  I love that when you make your sister laugh, you can't help but laugh too.

I love your totally off-key singing.  I love that you have to lead the "Happy Birthday" song and if someone else starts it, we have to start all over and re-sing the whole thing.

I love that you're a good sleeper.

I love that you pick out your own clothes and have since you were two years old with passion and style.  I love that I will never be able to guess what you choose to wear, whether it is simply jeans and a t-shirt or red pants, red sweatshirt, red t-shirt, red underwear or whether it is a pair of train engineer overalls that are far too small over a pair of pants.

I love that you blow kisses to your dad and I when we leave and you wave the "I love you" sign at us.  I love that you shout "I love you!!" at the top of your lungs and that you want us to shout it back.

I love you - my quirky, funny, smart, charming boy.  Thanks for being totally and utterly you.

Happy Birthday.