Birthday #4 - the Final Installment

Well, birthday season is finally done.  Malcolm turned 5 on Saturday.  He got all his wishes - a pirate ship, a nerf gun, and playing Wii all day.  He didn't get to play all day, but he sure tried.  By the time we get to him, we are all so sick of birthday cake and ice cream, it's good he usually goes for something a little different.  He's had cheesecake, brownies and ice cream, ice cream cake, and this year - yellow angel food cake with yellow whipped cream and strawberries.

At his birthday dinner, we asked the kids to think of all the 'M' words they could to describe Malcolm.  Meatball, mathematician, marvellous, magnificent...the list went on til Madison came up with mindful.  That sums Malcolm up in one word.  He is so mindful about everything he does.  When he chooses to do something it is 100%, all of his attention, dedication and concern (sometimes so much so that you can't talk to him about anything else.  Right now it's math, and when I lay by him at night and try to talk about our day I am met instead with counting to 100, adding 10 bazillion + 20 bazillion, 3+4 and counting by 6's to 60).  Anyone who has the pleasure of talking to him regularly will learn fairly quickly what he's into at the moment: the Titanic, the human body, whatever. 

He is also very mindful about his duties.  When he cleans his room, it's done right.  When he gets asked to sort pop bottles, he does the best job.  He cleans my cleans my van better than anyone else.

But most of all, he is mindful of others.  Like his little brother.  He can pester him like no other, but he makes sure he knows where Spencer is everywhere we go.  He chases him down for me and gives him what for when he doesn't listen, and he makes sure that other people know what Spencer needs or how he feels because Spen, of course, can't be bothered to tell them.  But he is mindful of others too.  He is my best sharer.  He doesn't worry about anything being his.  If you ask him nicely, he will most likely say yes.  He saves things for Dad and Mom all the time. 

So, happy birthday, my little mindful one.  I hope we were all mindful of making it a wonderful day for you!