You unlike anyone before you called me mumma, and now you are 8.
I fear that our time with you as a child is nearing to an end, that soon the things we do will bore you, be uncool and daggy. I fear that next year you'll start to become aware that perhaps Santa isn't real, the Easter bunny too.... I fear you're childhood is wrapping up on magic and entering pre-teen. I hope as I write this next year that I still have a little longer with my special boy by my side.
In 8 years we’ve grown together and we’ve created a personality that wasn’t in existence before. I am different because of you and I am thankful for that. You are you, and I can’t explain my pride in you.
You are just and right. You are kind and strong. You are smart and respectful. I can honestly say that there is no one out there like you Cooper, a wise soul on a young body. This year you are doing extension maths, which proves to me that you have your dads brains, you love to read and learn and ask questions to understand the whys, hows and when’s. You still deeply care about your friends and family. You love time on the farm, at Forster and with your grandparents. If you had a choice you would spend all your waking hours with your friends.
During school holidays you will often spend a day or three on the farm and while you always come back tired you come back happy. While you love video games the wide open space and adventure suits you. You still insist you are going to be a zoologist, palaeontologist or archaeologist when you are older despite me constantly pushing you into a trade.
This past year we’ve supported you every week with footy, bmx or soccer. We’ve been to theme parks, zoos and sporting events, we’ve walked mountains and swam in oceans, we’ve been watching you grow and grow and grow inside and out! You spend many weekends sleeping over at friends places or arranging play dates at the park. You have learnt to compromise and to tame your temper by walking away.
You look forward to having your own room back – while you certainly tolerate sharing, and at times when in trouble find comfort with Zoe in your room; you long for a space for you to display your Lego, hide you secretes and read quietly alone without disturbance. You absolutely cannot stand when Mason and Carter get into your room for fear they will destroy everything you've worked so hard on.
You love to hear the boys cheer for you on the side line – they call you BUBBA and your face explodes with pride. You’ve surprised us this year with your desire to win, until now you’ve always just enjoyed playing, but now you don’t like to lose.
My highlights for you this year: the heart-warming birthday card you made and hid for Zoe. The absolute excitement of all the major rides you went on at Movie World and Wet and Wild proclaiming both the best day of your life. The intense joy you still get when Charlie Elf arrives on the 1st of December. The huge hugs you give me when you are feeling overwhelmed and the rare moments you hold my hand to walk through the shops.
Each night before you turn out your light you call to us from down the hall, each and every night you yell “ I love you, goodnight, see you in the morning” – I hope it never ends.
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| after 3 years patiently waiting to be old enough to use the adult go carts you finally got to with your best friends for your birthday. |
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| 8 and very pleased with your Arsenal FC cake |
Your best friends are: Liam, Paxton and Lewis
You have 8 adult teeth with an 9th just popping through
You play league, futsal, bmx, soccer and oz tag - you are begging to play cricket this up coming summer
You love spending time with your friends, PlayStation games, reading and Canberra Raiders matches
Favourite food: PIZZA, any kind of pizza..... curried sausages with mash and Oma’s apple pie with custard
You hate: when things aren’t fair, losing, sharing a room, having to stop reading and go to sleep
You are 141cm tall
You weight 29kg
