A love letter to Tristan, age 10

My darling Tristan, you are TEN years old today! A whole decade! You’re up to my shoulder now, my tall son, and your feet are the same size as mine. Won’t be long now and I’ll be looking up to you even when your feet are on the ground!

Backyard fun (3 of 6)

Tristan, you still have boundless energy and a good appetite for adventure. You like to climb things, to leap off things, to balance on things. You like to wander and explore with me (and I’m delighted to admit, you seem to share my sense of humour!) You’re a great companion, and I enjoy chatting with you as we walk. I was very impressed early in the spring last year when you committed to training for your first 5K run, and I was especially proud when you persevered through bucketloads of cold rain to finish the run.

142:365 Goode Run (1 of 6)

One of the definite highlights of your year was the arrival of Willie the Cat. Maybe it’s because you share a birthday (Happy Birthday Willie!) or because you’re just a cat person at heart, but there is no doubt there is a special bond between you and that cat. And perhaps even more endearing, it’s clear the cat feels the same way. I’m pretty sure he thinks you’re a tall, hairless, funny-looking litter mate. (In sorting through my pictures from the year for this post, I laughed at the fact that nearly if not more than half of my pictures of you for the year also feature the cat somehow.)

177:365 Hello kitty

It’s great to know I can count on you to help around the house without too much complaint, even if I have to micromanage you, and you’re clearly comfortable taking on more responsibility in the family with tasks like feeding the pets and small household jobs. You also learned to play chess this year, and started taking guitar lessons. You seem to be enjoying your lessons quite a bit, even if you don’t practice nearly as much as you should. You can play a few songs now, and I enjoy hearing you practice.

361:365 Guitar player redux

You still love video games, of course. You like to play Club Penguin on the computer and Skylanders on the Wii and DS. You still like Super Mario Bros and Pokemon. Your favourite shows are Phinias and Ferb and Hello Charlie, and you and Simon like to watch tween shows like Witches of Waverly. I love how you comfortably stand between the childhood that is nearly behind you and the teen years ahead with an easy comfort in both worlds.

140:365 On the carousel

Your best friend is clearly Simon, though you might never admit it. You two are partners in crime, joined at the hip — often literally. I love how the two of you flop together like puppies in a litter, and how you make each other laugh. Outside of the house, your best friends are Theodore and Sophie, and even though Sophie moved across town last year you’ve stayed in touch through letters and weekend playdates.

Uno Boys

You are extremely patient (most of the time) with Lucas, who is more like you that you realize or would care to admit. This photo was one of my favourite memories of the year, when you asked out of the blue if you could read to Lucas at bedtime.

Big brother reading

You’ve done well at school this year, better in the second half of the year than the first. I think it took you a while to find your groove in your first year of French immersion and while your grades have been good, you needed a bit of an attitude adjustment in the first semester, which your latest report card reflects you’ve clearly done. Just last week, I eavesdropped on a conversation you and your Dad were having about what you wanted to be when you grow up. You said you’d like to be an artist, because it would be fun to draw pictures and make paintings all day. It’s no surprise to me that you’d consider a career in the arts, because you draw and doodle so relentlessly that your teacher gave you a special doodle pad to keep you from filling your desk with endless bits of scrap paper. You have special permission to use it only when you’ve finished your in-class work.

333:365 Homework is boring

This is the year when you’ve clearly come to love reading as well. I’m charmed that each night after either your Dad or I read to you and Simon that Simon falls instantly asleep and you lay quietly in your bed reading to yourself. Lately you’ve consumed Bone books and Calvin and Hobbes cartoons and Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, among others. I like the quiet conversations we have when I come down each night to turn off your light and tuck you in.

Hey look Willie, mom got a new iPhone!

Tristan, you’re warm, sweet, smart, energetic and artistic, and I genuinely enjoy your company immensely (when you aren’t fidgeting madly or making the weird, random, repetitive noises that boys your age seem incapable of repressing!) Your quirks make you even more endearing to me, and it’s a genuine joy to have you as my son. Happy birthday, my darling Tristan! I wish you a year filled with joy and delight. 🙂

Author: DaniGirl

Canadian. storyteller, photographer, mom to 3. Professional dilettante.

5 thoughts on “A love letter to Tristan, age 10”

  1. Happy birthday to a very handsome boy. This will sound weird but I dreamt about Tristan 2 nights ago. You and Beloved were getting married and for some reason I had to get the wedding outfit for Tristan. By the way, he was an extremely gorgeous 15 years old in my dream. Anyway Tristan and I settled on a khaki green suit with sandpapered brown patches on it. He looked amazing !!! Cannot for the life of me figure out what caused this dream !!!!

  2. These are my favourite posts of yours – I absolutely love the glimpses into your life and the love that pours out for those amazing boys of yours.

    Happy birthday Tristan!

  3. Thanks all!

    Coco, a khaki suit with brown patches? I’m thinking of something my dad might have been wearing in 1978! Glad to hear my compelling writing has gotten so deep into your psyche!! 🙂

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