Jeremy turns 6.

The first thing he asked me after climbing down from the top bunk this morning was, “Do I look bigger today?”

“Yes,” I told him. “You look six.”

He smiled and went to the bathroom (for privacy) to get dressed for school and enjoyed a surprise note from Chuck waiting at the dining room table. I sent cookies to school to share with his class, and according to the daily report, he was sung to three times. We opened gifts after Jack and I got home and went straight to playing while I got a haircut. We had dinner, where he was treated with Sprite (big deal!), and finished the day with his new Star Wars video game from Ethan. He said repeatedly, “This was the best day.”

(We had people over for a barbecue yesterday and decided we’d do the cake thing with them. More people to sing, you know?)

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H01jMF-UXts&hl=en&fs=1]

Let’s start with the cake, shall we? When I asked Jeremy what he wanted, he responded with the only acceptable dessert for a Miller birthday – Lemon Cake… “with rainbow frosting,” he added. Okay. So be it.

I also made Tennessee cookies, though they don’t look as wonderful as I’d hoped. My only defense is that I ran the half marathon the day before and I was tired. (The “6” cookies went to school.)

Jeremy, being the budding chef that he is, asked to decorate his own.

He got a great batch of gifts this year, namely a new Webkinz, a Star Wars cookbook (very cool!), a collection of books and new little guys to sleep with, and straight-up cash and gift cards for him to spend independently. (We made sure he stashed a few bucks away in the Giving and Saving jars first.)

The video game, however, was the coolest.

For all of them…

I have to post this picture of me and Jackson. We share a moment every now and again – he’ll walk up to me when I’m laying on the couch and say, “Hi Mommy.” Smiling, knowing, waiting…

“Do you want to be cozy with me?” I ask.

He grins, climbs on my lap, and says, “Cozy, Mommy.”

So we got cozy Monday night.

Despite it falling on a school day, I think Jeremy really enjoyed his day. Naturally, the bunk beds were a huge hit, and they haven’t lost their luster yet. I feared he would ask if we could move back to Georgia today, if we could have a birthday party like we used to in our old backyard. Happily, he never mentioned it, so it gives me hope that maybe his gloominess is fading.

And finally, the haircut.

Thank you to everyone who sent him cards and gifts. As you may know, anytime a six-year-old receives something in the mail, it makes them feel especially important. You will receive proper thank you cards soon.