On Friday we celebrated Caedmon turning 6. Crazy to think that it has already been 6 years since his joyful and imaginative little self made it into our world and our hearts.
Everyone needs a little Caedmon in their lives. He adds the sparkle and shine to every day life. His imagination is amazing, often when we ask him what he wants for his birthday or for Christmas he will go into elaborate detail and describe something, and then we have to stop and ask him “Is this a real thing or is this something that you thought up in your head?”. For example last year he wanted things to put on his hands that would allow him to climb the walls, and for Christmas this year he spent half an hour describing to my mom the jet pack that would allow him to fly anywhere in such detail she had to call and ask me if he had seen it somewhere and I said “no, just in his little mind”. He has decided when he grows up he wants to be a “roof worker” because they get hot working on the roof and so then they get to eat popsicles at the end of the day. He has also considered strongly being a “shot worker” because after giving someone a shot you get to give them a tweetie bird bandaide. With school I remember story starters with Leighton when he was the same age and ask him to make up a story about the picture that I showed him and his would often go like this “Once a boy sat on some stairs next to a robot.” And if I asked him to expand or describe or add something more I would get, “The robot’s name is Robot”. With Caedmon it is a totally different ball game. I have to ask him to stop after he has gone on for 20 minutes straight and he tells me he is still just at the beginning.
He goes 100% all the time until his little tank runs empty. And then he just stops and is done. With big tears usually. There is no 1/2 way with Caedmon, and he will stop and smell every flower along the way. When we did the Turkey Trot this year, I finished with Leighton and left him with Clint and headed back to find Edric and my dad and Caedmon and my mom who were still out on the course. I was surprised I came across Edric and my dad first and had to keep back tracking to find my mom and Caedmon, but once I found them I knew why. Caedmon was picking the pretty leaves up along the side of the course, stopping to look at every animal or track or dead bug along the way. He kept the runners/walkers around him entertained with his observations/questions/constant chatter about anything and everything. If I could guess his motto on life, it would go something like this “Why walk through life when you can skip and twirl dressed in a cowboy hat, super hero cape with a stuffed lamb and sword by your side along the way?”
And so Caedmon, Happy Birthday buddy, we are so glad you are a part of our family and our lives. You put a smile on our faces and remind us to skip along the way. May God continue to bless you as you bless others with your imagination and joy in all that you do.
Hiking Mommy 