To Edward on His Third Birthday

Hey Buddy,
You’re turning three today.  I don’t know if you know what that means yet.  You have alternated all week between telling people that you are two and three, but I wonder if it has sunk in.  I know that you were very jealous two weeks ago when Ruby turned six.  You did not enjoy that at all.  I mean, why should Ruby get all of the presents and the attention?  I think that today you will be much happier.

You and I spend a lot of time together now.  I’m home with you all day, which means you do whatever I do.  You come to my meetings at church, you run errands and go shopping with me, and your time is determined by other people’s schedules.  That is going to change soon, when you go to pre-school in the fall, but for now we have this time together, and while eventually you might not even remember it, I will never forget it.

In all the world, your two favorite things are television and candy, and I probably indulge you too much in both of them, but you get a lot less of each than you would like, so I think we have reached an only mildly unhealthy compromise.  When you are not eating gummi bears or watching Bo on the Go, you are playing with toys or riding your bike.  You got a new bike for your birthday.  It is orange, and at the rate you are going you will have outgrown it by next year, so maybe you won’t remember that either, but you sure do love it today.

Cars and trains are still your favorites, although you do like playing superheroes a lot now too.  I’m not sure if that’s just because Ruby and I love them so much, or if you are developing your own fondness for them, but know that you will never lack for someone to play Avengers with as long as you are in this family.

I know you sometimes get a bad rap as a destructobot these days, and I don’t know if future you is also prone to destruction, but let me tell you that, even when you are destroying something important, I can see all of your best qualities in each instance.  Yes, you may go through other people’s stuff, flinging things this way and that, but it just means you are curious and love to explore.  And yes, things get smashed sometimes, but it is only because you are so excited about life and everything you do.  Inquisitive exuberance is not a bad thing.

I don’t know where life will take us in the future, but I wanted to let you know that now, in these last times that we will have together exclusively before you go out and get taken by the world, I am having a great time being your father, and I know you are going to do amazing things with your life.  You mastered potty training in about a day and half, so how hard could the rest of life be, right?

I love you, and I hope you have a very happy birthday today, and every other birthday to come.

Love, Daddy