For Leo at five -- You are inquisitive, your questions about the world are wide and deep – how video cameras work, what sharks eat, how volcanoes erupt. You’re fascinated with buttons, the earth, the moon the stars, maps, computers, and your classmates at school.

You spend an hour and half outside in the backyard alone excavating the dirt for possible dinosaur bones and think you found some. You used many tools: the pretend hammer from the tool kit Arjun gave you, a pink colored pencil, a washcloth, your nails. You called me out occasionally to inspect a discovery – mostly working quietly by yourself – totally immersed in the project.

You make your own projects – you love masking tape and stickers and are a master making sculpture’s from construction paper and scissors. You draw pictures – me in a helicopter earlier this week – people, often without arms, but with pronounced genitals – you love to make “presents,” envelope like creations for me and Rosie and dada to open. You can write all your letters and are starting to spell in your own creative way – you wrote eric a beautiful banner for his birthday “hppy bfday! To dada!” all by yourself. You’re even beginning reading – learning to sound it out – and are so thrilled with yourself when you sound it out.

You are cautious – a quiet observer of everything that goes on in our house and in your classroom at school. Aware now of all the things you know you don’t know. Aware of the power of other kids to break rules and be cruel to each other. You revere the cool kids – like the twins who live down the street – who came to your birthday party – for their worldliness – they have two older siblings – and for their social power. You’re part of the pack of boys at school – who play superheroes and dinosaurs all day long – but are also stressed by the rough playground and are happy to come home and rest and play by yourself and with Rosie.

Like me and your dada – you like to be at home. You have much to do here and play really well alone in the afternoons while Rosie naps – building “rocket ship helicopters” with your legos, making necklaces, doing connect the dots or digging in the backyard.

You are a graceful and creative dancer. Shows are happening often in our living room rug stage. You have full control of our ipod and regularly play the nutcracker ballet, and the beau hunks or the Beatles or your dad’s old show tunes – come out in amazing imaginative costume – “let’s be magical elephants!” you commanded Rosie tonight.

Your relationship with Rosie is growing – “I love Rosie” you say most mornings – cuddling up to her on the couch – nuzzling her closer that she would like. You both talk in the dark before bed – you giggled together and you often fall asleep first – not having had the luxury of Rosie’s nap. She’s often your eager playmate – missed you terribly when you went back to school after the long winter vacation. You’re generally good at sharing with her – when you’re not exhausted – you share adventures and humor and hold hands in the back seat of the car and read to her form your children of the world book on trips.

We’re so proud of the person you are becoming – your curiosity, your joy for life, your empathy. We love having you as part of our family and our lives.