My dear, sweet DorkySon turns five today.
Where do I even begin writing about how he has grown and changed in the last year? It is beyond anything I could ever have imagined. He has always been fun. He has always been smart, and kind, and made me laugh, but in the last twelve months he has become a person I genuinely enjoy spending time with. Not because he’s my son, or because there is any obligation, but because he rocks.
He is the most loving boy. He likes to bump his bottom down the stairs, and lean through the banister to give me a kiss on every step. He delays getting dressed in the morning, by saying “One more snuggle, Mummy. Just one more.” He will tiptoe over to me, while DorkyDad is cooking pancakes for Saturday breakfast, and whisper in my ear, “You go that way, and I’ll go this way – we’ll meet in the middle and give Daddy a kiss bomb.” And so we do. As DorkySon says, you can never have too much love.
In the last year, his imaginative play has exploded. I have already blogged about Jake, but it goes way beyond that. Instead of lining up our chairs in the hallway to build a bus, now we pull on our snow boots, hop in our Hagglund, and zip across Antarctica, searching for penguins. We toast marshmallows over a campfire in the bush. We are cricketers and chefs, mechanics and builders, pirates, knights and cowboys. We go to the moon at least once a week, and fall over laughing when the lack of gravity gets the better of us.
DorkySon has started kindergarten, three days a week, and is learning all the new routines that come with that. When he comes home in the afternoon he is exhausted, needs ten minutes alone to bounce on the sofa and off the walls before he settles down with a book and a plate of fruit. He gets stickers, for being a good packer-upper, and a careful listener. Last week it was the sports carnival, and he was so excited by the half-mile journey on the school bus. He didn’t want me to go and watch – so I didn’t, I understand that part of him – but apparently he was the only one to balance the beanbag on his hat the whole way, and he ran every race with a smile. When other parents talk about my boy’s ‘quiet confidence’ I think I am going to pop with pride.
My sweet little guy still takes life very seriously. He talks about things way beyond his ken. He asks me if fish cry. He wonders if soldiers would be kind to him, even if their bosses told them not to be. He would like to be vegetarian when he grows up but apparently now ‘the time is not right’ because he still likes sausages too much. He tells me that heaven is all white, and full of rainbows, but he wonders why, if you get there and decide you don’t like it, you can’t just come back again.
Sometimes there are monsters under his bed, or crocodiles in the shadows, and his sweaty little head needs to be stroked back to sleep. Last night he needed reassurance that neither a fox nor a beaver would eat him in the night. When we travel, he worries about forgetting a bag, or missing the plane. When we’re in the car he is the world’s worst backseat driver, calling out what colour the traffic lights are on, reminding me to indicate, and always, always critiquing my parking.
But the best times – and they are happening more and more often – are when DorkySon is so busy having fun that he forgets to worry. When he skips along the side of the swimming pool. When he challenges DorkyDad to a wrestling match, or a game of dominoes. When he pulls his step up to the kitchen counter and helps prepare fried chicken, or pancake mix, or salsa. When he runs in the sprinklers, waters the flowers, or catches raindrops on his tongue. When he sits at the table, frowning in concentration, and draws page after page of beautiful, bright drawings.
DorkySon is surrounded by such kindness; I don’t think he will fully recognise it until he is older. It is astonishing. The elderly neighbour from Hertfordshire who sent three crisp ten-dollar bills in his Christmas card. The lady in the local store who sees him coming and wraps up a cocktail sausage in a paper bag. The man who drove us to Heathrow last September, and was so taken by DorkySon’s constant chatter on the M25, that he emailed a few weeks ago to ask for our address and sent along a model Eddie Stobart truck.
This year, as we have every year, we offered DorkySon his choice of birthday celebration. He could have had a party, or a boat trip, or dinner in a restaurant. He could have gone to the zoo, or to the park, or up Mount Wellington. But, as he has every year, he asked to keep it simple – penne pasta for dinner at home, a chocolate cake, and a number 5 balloon.
Happy Birthday, little mate. You’re the best.
Dorkymum | Stories from Tasmania 
This has warmed my heart. Not only hearing about dorkyson being such a lovely boy and growing up into a sensitive kind young man, but that in Tassie shops you still get cocktail saveloys when you go in with your mummy. That memory made me smile.
Oh Ruth, I miss him and you so much! Hope he has a fantastic birthday from me and one of his biggest fans, Little Miss C x
Aw I have a five year old too, they are brilliant fun. Happy Birthday Dorky Son! Reading this they are very different five year olds and I really should write more of it down and capture it! But also very similar – the imagination is truly amazing at this age as you have beautifully captured, brill isn’t it!
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What wonderful parents who are raising a bright, inquisitive and gentle soul. Hoppy bunday to him and conragts to you
Such a lovely post, full of warmth and love for a very special boy, I feel like I know him, and I wish you were closer so I could come and play on the moon with you xx
Wow – that is the most beautiful post! You make me want to be a better mother! And what a gorgeous boy. My two are both “sensitive” and my daughter doesn’t like me watching assemblies etc. So exciting seeing them change as they grow up. Congrats to both of you – him on his birthday and you on raising such a lovely human being x
Ruth, this is the most delightful post I have read in a long time. Your love for him shines through so much. Dorkyson sounds like a wonderful boy and so loving, credit to you an your hubby. Mich x
He’s growing up and fast. Happy Birthday to him and best wishes for a great year where he makes lots of brilliant and exciting discoveries about the world around him assited of course by his lovely mum and dad.
Love And Best Wishes
Gayle XXX
This post has made my morning Ruth – much love to you all xxxxx
What a fab boy he is. I hope you have and amazing birthday celebration full of snuggles and kiss bombs, and cake lotsa cake!
Happy fifth birthday. He sounds adorable and is going to make a fine gentleman. Lol at the sausages.
Happy birthday lovely boy x
Happy birthday, what a lovely post! I think every birthday should be celebrated with pasta and chocolate cake, it’s how I do it. We are also celebrating a birthday in this house today, although a couple of years behind DorkySon, I didn’t realise he had the same birthday as Bagl, it’s a good day for a birthday.
Now I’m all welling up with the huge love you’ve shared for your gorgeous Dorky Son. Beautiful post and what a fabulous little man. A big happy fifth birthday! X
He sounds like such a darling. I hope to meet him one day. Lots of birthday hugs.
What an awesome little man! Happy birthday Dorky Son. xx
Awwww what a lovely boy indeed!! HAppy Birthday!!
He sounds a gorgeous little boy, inside and out. 5 is such a precious age. Your blog will serve as such a lovely reminder of these fabulous times x
aww what a lovely little boy – happy birthday little man x
In so many ways he sounds just like our Little Chap – especially the morning snuggles “just one more Mummy”. There is never enough time for him to have enough, which breaks my heart daily 😦 Wish I had half your talent to write up so many of the wonderful memories of him being five. I have been really rubbish at it so far! Need to do the stickers for careful listening and picking up too 🙂
Congratulations to all. You sound the perfect family – my, you have some energy!
Having me the little man, I can picture everything you’re saying and am so pleased that your lives are filled with such happiness.
BTW – when my (eldest) son says he doesn’t want me somewhere – even his special Assembly. I still go. And he always smiles at me regardless XX Happy Birthday 🙂
Oh Happy Birthday DorkySon – what a lovely birthday treat – chocolate cake rocks , the kid obviously has taste x
Happy birthday dorky son! what a beautiful post x
I know it may be a while, buy I cannot wait to meet him. How can it be 5 years already?