There are times...

"There are times when I love you," Tristen told me. He was sitting on the couch next to me as I edited his birthday pix. Then he reached up and kissed my shoulder. I snapped this picture a few minutes later as Chris was reading him a story before nap.

Thing is, I know just what he meant. There are times when I really REALLY love him, too. Like this weekend. It was a perfect birthday weekend -- full of smiles and laughing and five-year-old chit chat.

Today we continued to chill and wait for Tillie. I sat in the yard while Chris weeded and Tristen deadheaded the hyrangea bush to make room for this year's blooms. He was careful with the clippers and eager to show off how much of a bucket he filled with the old dry stuff.

At one point I asked if he wanted to sing. He said that he wanted ME to sing -- a song about Tristen and Tillie. "Tristen row the boat ashore," he suggested. "I should row, because I'm the oldest."

He is VERY proud to be 5.

I'm sure it goes without saying that Chris and I are just overwhelmed with pride, too.