Happy, happy birthday to my dear sweet peach of a boy, Oliver. Six is going to be your year, I can feel it. You are on the verge of so many things!
Over the past year, Oliver has matured in a way that I didn’t anticipate. He is compassionate, stubborn, determined, sensitive, and athletic. He is a complicated kid, moody and tender all wrapped into one. This past year, he has become more physically confident and able, learning to ride a two-wheeler, climb to the top of the swing set at the playground, do a tuck roll in circus class (but more so at home), and is on the verge of reading independently. Oliver is currently obsessed with Star Wars Legos, which he plays with for hours on end (usually with Emil). He can follow directions well, but mostly likes to build his own creative versions of things. He takes such good care of his stuffed animals it’s almost heartbreaking; he tucks them all in every night and sets them up just so (no covers over faces… they need to breathe!). He tells me he’s going to be a good papa someday. I agree. 
Oliver sees the world with different eyes, and I mean this in the best way. I can count on him to find small things in a bigger, more complicated picture. He notices everything, forgets nothing. His brain is an endless abyss of memories and smells and tastes and colors, and the way he relates them to the world leaves me in awe.
Oliver is hard on himself, often losing it because of frustration or discomfort. He refuses to wear pants or shorts without an elastic band, loves salmon (but only if Andrew grills it), needs a lot of hugs and kisses at nighttime, adores his little brother, and admires his older brother. He is happiest amongst his friends and his own space; when I pick him up from camp or school, no matter how sad, angry, or frustrated he was when I dropped him off (not a morning person), he comes back to me happy as a clam. Oliver thrives on teams.
And I’m so honored to have him on mine.
Happy sixth birthday, dear Oliver! We love you, buddy!
Happy Birthday, Oliver! One of these years, let’s get together with all of our kids.
Happy Birthday Oliver! He is such a combination of you and Andrew. And that third picture… melts my heart!
i hope this doesn’t sound creepy, but i’m really into astrology, and everytime you talk about oliver i wonder about his planets. he must have one interesting birth chart! (I understand if you’re not into these kind of things, it’s my guilty pleasure). anyway, happy birthday, 6 is a great age to be!
Happy birthday, sweet Oliver!
No, not creepy at all! I think that is really interesting… he is certainly a complicated guy!
Happy birthday, sweet Oliver!
Love,
Frankie (and Nora and Joe and Michael)
well, he’s got two planets in earth (virgo and taurus), two in water (cancer), and two in air (gemini and aquarius) signs, his only fire element being a leo sun (which is the strongest fire combo possible). a beautiful, complex (and balanced!) birth chart indeed.
Fascinating! I guess that partly explains his complex personality? 🙂
i’m sure there’s more to it, but it’s quite unusual to have so much variety 🙂 from the birth chart he sounds like a sweet protective nurturing stubborn free spirit! and his cancer planets suggest you might have a mama’s boy in your hands. plus you guys are opposite signs (you’re an aquarius righ?) which is a special (if a tad challenging) connection to have!
Oh, yes. He is all of those things and more (especially including the mama’s boy, I’m happy about it b/c my other two seem to be more on papa’s team, ha ha!). Thanks, Giov!
Happy birthday to Oliver! He’s grown up into such a strong looking boy in this past year. And I love that he is still rocking a little of that signature wild hair 🙂
Lilly, his hair, geez! He absolutely refuses to let us cut it. Who knows how it will look in 4 more months…