The Cappuccino Life - To Gebre: On your birthday

Apr. 29, 2008 - To Gebre: On your birthday

Dear Gebre,

You’ve made it to three! This last year has been a blur of busy-ness and struggles with you, but we seem to be on a downhill coast now (for which I am very grateful!). When you were born-two weeks late!-we all marvelled at your plumpness, your rolls of fat, your Chestertonian jowls. You have grown out of most of that baby fat but your face still carries a delightful roundness that begs for kisses.

I’m afraid that because you are the middle child, and not very needy, you aren’t getting the attention you deserve. I’m working on that. But I have been noticing lately that even without a lot of guidance, you have been observing the world and learning from it. You conduct experiments with language, cooking utensils, and universal laws, testing your theories and coming to your own conclusions. My favorite conclusion of all time was: “Mama! You’re a genius!”. You’ve watched Asrat doing his school work and got your alphabet and numbers down pat, and recently started parroting his addition problems. You don’t always make the right conclusions, though. Your stubborn insistence that the Law of Gravity does not apply to you has been the cause of many tears of frustration and a bunch of bruises. And your pronunciation still leaves a great deal to be desired (though I can’t help but grin when you talk).

You are a tough little kid, and I already mentioned stubbornness. This year you have been testing limits and boundaries, trying to figure out your place in the world and in this family. For all the screaming and rebelling you did this year, you couldn’t hide that there is a sweet, loving, compassionate little boy down deep. As often as you fight with your older brother, you also share with him, giggle with him, and make your way to his side of the bed many nights. You have been perfectly wonderful to your baby brother, in spite of the fact that he diverts parental attention from you on a regular basis-I have never had one second of concern that “sibling rivalry” would result in disaster for the baby. You’ve never considered him a rival and you have been extraordinarily loving and gentle with him. You love to be my helper, and you love to point out reasons Baba and I should praise you. You are a busy little body these days but when my lap is free, you are always eager to “be a baby” again, if only for a few moments. I hope in the coming year you and I will get to know each other a little better, get to spend a little more time together. I can see that you are someone special and I don’t want to miss any of the great things your little mind churns out.

Love you forever,

Mama