Dear Timmy,
I’ve written eight letters in your eight years and they are still not enough to capture every memory we have shared with you. This one is coming in two months late. A week after your birthday we had to move to your Lolo’s house to keep him company. A week later was Christmas and New Year. Then, 2019 started and we had to catch up with homeschool and I, with work. Your letter has been sitting in my drafts for the longest time and it’s only now that I am able to sit down and continue with our annual tradition. c”,)
Timmy, I always get sentimental writing your birthday letters because looking back at your pictures reminds me how quickly time flies. It literally feels like I blinked and you went from being a crawler to a sprinter! You’ve gone from baby talk to using words like muttering and glaring in daily conversations as if all eight-year-olds do that. It’s both crazy and awesome to see you grow and mature before our very eyes!
You also went through a growth spurt and now you’re almost up to my shoulders! You are now 3’10” to be exact. One foot more and we will have the same height! NOOOOOOOO! The idea that you will be bigger than me terrifies me! Haha! So, let’s dial down your growth spurt a notch, please. c”,) I know your dad will disagree because he wants you to be taller than him but I’m not yet ready to relinquish my position as the second tallest in the family! Haha!
You are endearing in every way. You are growing up to be a very sweet young man, Timmy. When you bring water to the room, you always get one for me and for Daddy. Your daily dose of hugs and kisses to us instantly removes the tiredness we’re feeling. You do not complain when we ask you to do chores. You already know your responsibilities like setting the table, cleaning up your stuff, and cleaning up Angus’s mess. You take care of Angus like your own little brother. You even fight like siblings, too! Haha! You get frustrated, though, when Angus pees in the wrong place (yup, your pet has gone into forgetful mode lately). But you still clean it anyway. c”,)
You are very appreciative. I love how generous you are in complementing other people. You really do take time to make us feel special. c”,) Your love letters encourage me especially during times when I feel like I’m failing you as your mom. You know, Timmy, I have this bad habit of wallowing in mommy guilt. More often than not, God will use your random letters and hugs to reassure me that He is helping me to be a better mom every single day. Whenever you tell me, “Mommy, you are the best mom in the world!” I feel humbled because I know very well all my shortcomings. I am imperfect, which is why I am grateful for your love, acceptance, and understanding, my dear son. You are such a sweet blessing to us!
You are empathic. You feel for other people. Losing your Lola was really tough for you, Timmy. For months you have prayed for her healing. At one point, you cried in frustration asking, “Why did God allow Lola to be sick? Why is God not healing Lola?” My heart was shattered to pieces seeing you cry because you felt so sad not being able to visit her as kids were not allowed in the ICU. I could see that you felt her pain. It was really difficult to explain, Timmy. But you continued to pray and trust God amidst the questions you had and the longingness you felt.
When Jesus called Lola home, you would have moments when you would cry all of a sudden asking, “Why did God allow Lola to die?” You were also like that with Lola Mommy, your great grandmother, two years ago. But with Lola, your crying was more frequent. I believe that it was God-ordained that our Values lesson that time was about heaven. When we started talking about heaven, the wonderful place where Lola is, your face lit up! You had hope and joy that can only come from Jesus! You started asking, “Is Lola walking in streets of gold now? Is she playing with lions?” Oh, such pure and innocent faith you have, Timmy! Typing this right now brings tears to my eyes, knowing how much God was molding your tender heart carefully during that time.
Your energy remains unmatched. Timmy, I don’t think I’ve ever met any child as energetic as you are! Haha! Whenever I ask you to get something for me, you can’t help but run! When you’re telling us stories, you can’t help but walk or run while talking. If we go out the whole day and then we get home, it’s as if your energy gets refilled and you’re as active as ever! Car naps are like adrenaline shots to you. Haha!
I love your bursting energy, Timmy. I really do. c”,) Your random dancing, rolling over the bed, your current parkour obsession (hello Ultimate Beastmaster and American Ninja Warrior!), and your endless love for basketball—all of them show your fun-loving spirit! We enrolled you again at a basketball clinic and you had a blast!
It was unfortunate that you weren’t able to graduate with the rest of the class because of your minor injury. I really thought you sprained your ankle because you tried to walk it off and still play. But when we saw you limping, we knew that you had to stop playing. Your dad had to carry you to avoid aggravating your leg even more. Your coach even advised that we have you x-rayed. Turns out, it was just a muscle strain. Praise God! And speaking of basketball, you are now a Laker fan! Haha! Yup, you go where LeBron James goes just like Daddy. c”,)
You felt pretty bad that Cleveland lost in the NBA Finals. You actually cried. We had to process that with you. Some people might think that it’s just a basketball game. But unless they’re a fan or an athlete, they will never really understand how much a championship win means even for a kid like you. It was a good teaching moment as well about trusting God and His plans. And you know what? A blessing came after that loss! One of your Daddy’s friends gave you your first NBA cards to make you feel better! Isn’t that amazing? c”,)
I think every kid goes through that stage when winning is everything and we’re right smack in the middle of it. I’m grateful for the privilege of being there for you, along with your dad, to help you through this stage. We prayed with you, read the Bible with you, and even played competitive games with you so you would experience losing—and ultimately, practice sportsmanship. c”,)
I remember during one game in our homeschool coop, your team lost and you were the only one who congratulated the other team! You even went to me afterward with a big smile on your face and asked, “Was I a good sport, Mommy?” I responded with a big YES! And gave you a tight hug, telling you how proud I was of what you did! I must say that reading the book When My Friend Wins repeatedly has helped you, too!
You bring so much laughter to our home! You have elevated your Timmyisms to witty quips and questions! You always manage to catch us off guard! Haha! I still share them on Facebook but there are a whole lot more that I’m unable to share. You’re such a hilarious little guy! Sometimes you would go on a streak just saying all sorts of crazy stuff and make fun of Daddy’s age! Hahaha! Do you know what’s my favorite? It’s when you don’t even know that what you said was funny! Haha! And you deliver it with a poker face, too!
You also had some very sweet and endearing #Timmyisms that made me tear up! It’s true what the book Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys said that this age is when boys become The Romantic. And because you’re a budding writer, too, you take sweetness to a whole new level! You’ve also doubled down on your hugs and kisses to us! Something that I really enjoy! Haha!
You’ve had some significant milestones! Your journey from seven to eight years old has been an eventful one, too! c”,) First, you had your first tooth fall off! And then, you pulled out the second one! Yay! You had your first dental procedure done and you were very brave! We read The Berenstain Bears Visit the Dentist prior to your appointment to prepare you for it. c”,)
We also celebrated your pet’s first birthday! That meant you did a great job in your first year as a pet owner! You have shown us, Timmy, that you are capable of handling your responsibilities to Angus. It gave you so much confidence to the point that you’re even asking for a second pet! Hold your horses (or shih-tzus), sir. That’s way too much responsibility not only for you but for our family! Haha!
You also learned how to bake for the first time thanks to your Ninang Tess! You enjoyed every part of it especially the eating part! Haha! I am so happy you had this opportunity because neither cooking nor baking is my strongest suit. Haha! Thankfully, you are not a picky eater so you eat whatever is on the table! Even vegetable salad with no dressing!
It was also your first time to join our homeschool coop’s UN Day celebration! The past two years, we weren’t able to attend for some reason. I can’t remember why. You came as an Egyptian prince! So cute! I am extremely grateful for Team L4, our homeschool coop, for all the opportunities they have given you to grow. c”,)
You also did your first Show and Tell in front of your homeschool friends! You shared with them what you want to be when you grow up and you said that you wanted to be a writer or manunulat! You also said that you wanted to write many children’s books! c”,) At first, you didn’t want to talk but when you started, you couldn’t be stopped! Haha! So proud of you darling! You’ve come a long way from being an extremely shy boy to someone who is coming out of his shell slowly but surely. c”,)
You have fully transitioned to chapter books although you still love reading your storybooks and picture books! You love Martha Speaks, Nate the Great, Captain Underpants, Ricky Ricotta and The Mighty Robot, Magic Tree House, Mercy Watson, Berenstain Bears, and Veggie Tales chapter books. You’re a big fan of Shel Silverstein, too! That’s why we had a book-themed surprise for you! And we got you personalized books for your birthday! c”,)
One of the highlights of your year was seeing the super blue blood moon! Not only that, you saw the constellation Orion just outside our house! Also, you were able to send your name to Mars via NASA! We might be done with your Astronomy science year but your love for the universe never waned. c”,)
Homeschooling has been great for you! First grade went by so quickly, Timmy! Before you knew it, we started second grade already! Your favorite subjects are still the same—Science, Math, and English. The first two are my Waterloo. Haha! But the great thing about homeschooling is that I am actually beginning to love those subjects especially Science! Math is still a struggle but I love learning with you and finding ways to make it easier for you. Oh, Timmy. You are a lot better in numbers than I am. You make it easy for me!
Every time I teach you, Timmy, I completely depend on God for wisdom. I praise and thank Him that He has given you a natural interest in these things. It has made teaching a lot easier because you can pick up the concepts easily. c”,) Our best homeschool moments are during those times when we laugh and enjoy what we’re doing. I will tell you more about our second grade homeschool year when I write our homeschool recap when we wrap up our school year. c”,) You have been such a trooper, Timmy. You have adjusted to our schedule without complaint especially during the time when your Lola was in the hospital. Thank you for being so understanding and flexible!
Your love for English and poetry has allowed you to grow as a writer, too! You’ve been writing a lot of stories here on my laptop and you have started publishing some of them online through the littlewriter.io website. c”,) Keep writing, my son! Someday I know that you will tell amazing stories that will inspire people. With your wit and humor, I think you will make your readers laugh a lot, too!
You are very understanding. I’ve been having some health struggles for over a year now. This has caused us some homeschool time and playtime. Since April of last year, I’ve been having double vision and internal tremors. We still haven’t figured out the cause and the findings so far are inconclusive. You may not realize it yet but I know it can be tough to have a mom with Lupus and more. I’m sorry that my sickness limits your outdoor activities because I’m not allowed to stay under the sun. When days are good, I give you my 101% but when days are bad I’m only able to give you around 50%. And for those moments, I want to apologize.
Sorry, sweetheart, if I cannot bring you to places as much as I want to. It’s a blessing that you’re a home buddy like your dad. Thank you for being so understanding and caring. Thank you for your patience. Thank you for praying for me every night and for checking on me if I still have double vision or if my muscles feel weak. Thank you for staying beside me when I’m just lying down because I’m too weak to move. I’m so blessed to have you and Daddy in my life. You both have shown me that Gods love, grace, and mercy never ends. c”,)
Enjoy being eight, my love! I know that you will make the most out of it. I pray that you continue growing in your faith in Jesus. May you love Him above all else and live a life that honors Him. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH, TIMMY! You are the best son any parent could ask for. Thank you for all the love and laughter you bring to our family. I look forward to spending many more years with you and writing tons of letters to you! Your vibrant life is a story worth telling. c”,)
Lots of love always,
Mommy
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