Happy New Zealand Birthday.

Kia Ora e taku tama. (I'm sure I am missing some important joining words in there- where is Kimi when I need her?). But I am sure you won't know or mind. It is your 1st birthday today, in the land of your birth. Happy New Zealand birthday sweetheart. We are going to have a small party for you with your friends Cory and Kenny today, over at their house while I babysit them. I hope you aren't disappointed that you aren't having a huge family affair like we would if we were back in New Zealand, but I figure you won't actually care this year. I wish your brother was here, I miss him, he is fun to be around. He would spoil you by playing lots of silly games with you, like I did with him many years ago. There are many people I miss for you. Your life would be filled with friends and whanau in New Zealand. But I know that your personality makes even going to the supermarket a great social experience. So many people will stop to talk to us. People are drawn to you son, they are captured by your cuteness and held captive by your smile. I am too. Some days I wake up believing I am the most blessed of women to have had 2 wonderful little boy babies that filled my life with awe. I pray you never lose that sparkle. You are an active guy, always busy with discovery. You seldom sit still, you do not like restraint of any kind, it's as though you understand the phrase more than anyone to "live life to the fullest". I sometimes wish you were more docile. You love books, your quiet time is turning the pages of all your books as you point to the things you see and oooooooooh and aaaaah.. sometimes I listen to you and it's as though the beauty of each page turning renders you breathless with a new discovery. I pray you never lose your wonder. I wonder if you will be an artist, or a writer, perhaps even a photographer like your parents. Images captivate you. Your busy time is spent carrying books around or pulling them off the bookshelf. You also like to put things into bags and carry them around on your back. You are just learning to stack things one on top of the other. Knocking them down seems to still be the greatest fun for you though. I wonder if you will work construction one day. We bought you a sandbox for your birthday, you stare at it from the window as the rain bounces off the lid. The bright red attracts your eye over and over throughout the day. I can't wait to see you playing in it. Daddy filled it with sand that he carried in his backpack from a trail we often walk. Daddy likes to do fun things like that for you, and with you. We also bought you some musical instruments. You and I go to MusicTogether classes each Tuesday. You love it, I love it...we sing and dance and make music together. Last Tuesday they sang happy birthday to you...you were busy with something else. I think you might be a little like daddy in that way, you don't notice the world outside you when you're busy. As we sang, I sang the loudest, for you are my little 1 year old boy. I pray I can always be there for the 'moments' in your life. Much of the time you spend exploring the room or sucking on the instruments. I know you are listening though, you certainly take notice when the instruments change. You like to dance, you liked watching all the parents walk around in a circle as you stood in the middle and did your moves. I bet you thought it was a performance solely for you. You were certainly appreciative of them and clapped as we all sang and danced. You made us giggle. You often make us giggle and smile, frown and worry, play and dance and we love you for it. Happy Birthday Macallum - My life is so much richer for spending this last year as your mother, playmate, nursemaid, personal chef and taxi driver. May we share many more together. Arohanui. Mummy xoxoxoxox