Dear Victor,

Today was your first day of school. You were so excited to get there, you woke up early and hardly touched your breakfast. I watched you running around the house, asking a hundred times if you were late for school yet, and couldn't help but think that it wasn't all that long ago that you were just learning how to crawl around this space. Now it's barely big enough to hold you. I can't believe how fast the time has gone by. It seems like just yesterday that we celebrated you entering the world, and next week we'll be celebrating your fifth birthday. Five years. Five years of sheer joy and occasional frustration. Five years of laughter, and love, and adventures I'd never have had without you. Thank you little man. You have made me a much better person. Being your mama has taught me more than any class, any book, or any school possibly could about what it means to be a decent human being and what the right way to walk in this world really is. You are the best teacher ever.
This morning, you looked like such a big boy, marching yourself onto campus.


And lining up, waiting for your teacher, just like you'd been shown and without having to be reminded.


And getting down to the serious business of playing and making friends.


You are such an amazing person, my little friend. The world has great things in store for you, and you for it. I can't wait to see what they are. Just remember that no matter how big you get, no matter how smart you are or how much you know, you will always be mama's little man. And you may look like this:


now. But in my heart, you will always and forever be my baby.



Love,
Mama