Today is my son’s 6th birthday – and it’s also the first Thursday of the month, which means another round of #3ThingsThursday! So, naturally, this edition of the linkup with The Write Balance and Love Laugh Mirch is all about him! Today is also special because I am a guest host for the linkup, so if you want to join the fun and share 3 things that are on your mind or that happened this week, you can just go to the bottom of this post and add your link. Be sure to check out the other bloggers as well!

My son, Aariz, is not only my only son – he is also the middle child. Which makes him very special. He’s simultaneously a cuddler and a crasher; in the middle of any crazy stunt he is pulling that involves loud music, cartwheels and throwing objects in the air, I can call him over for a hug and he’ll come a-running. I call him my son-shine and it was really, from the very day he was born, that I understood the special bond between a mother and son.

It’s really hard to decide what 3 things to share about him, but I’ll give it my best shot.

One: The Most Chill Baby Ever

I didn’t know if it was his personality or the fact that he was my second baby, but he was super chill about everything. (Now that I have a third child, I’m going to say it was his personality). We could take him anywhere and he was cool with it. When he was 15 months old, we flew to Atlanta. In June. It’s called Hot-lanta for a reason. We couldn’t dress him in more than a onesie because it was insanely hot. He wasn’t walking yet so we stroller-ed him everywhere. We went to the Coke Museum, a former plantation and slave quarters, toured MLK Jr.’s old neighbourhood, and walked and walked and walked. And he was like this. The whole time.

Two: He’s Devilishly Handsome

What?? I’m allowed to say that. What I really admire about Aariz is that he loves to dress up. When we go for prayers, he always wears a tie even when we say he doesn’t have to. For his preschool pictures, he chose his own outfit: a suit and tie. For Mother’s Day tea at preschool, he chose his own outfit: same suit, different tie. I know every mother thinks their son is handsome (and they should!), but I didn’t really understand that until he came along. When other parents tell me their daughters mention him at home, I laugh. But inside, I have to admit, I feel a pang. Right now, I’m the only woman in his life. It kind of feels awesome.

Three: He’s Never Far From Me

He’s a homebody, like me. He enjoys his friends while at school, and he loves a playdate with a good buddy, but he tells me every night before bed that I am his favourite part of his day. And before school he’ll say, “I want to go to school, but I don’t want to go to school.” When I ask him why he doesn’t want to go, he says it’s because he won’t be with me. And even after a playdate where he had the most fantastic time, he’ll say that he missed me. He happily goes where he needs to go, but I love that he enjoys being with his mom. I hope he always wants to spend time with me, even when I’m a crazy old lady.

One of the things we enjoy doing together is cooking. If I forget to call him over when I start making dinner, he’ll hear the commotion in the kitchen, pull up a stool and ask what we’re making. He knows many of the Indian spices that we use and has been pulling cilantro leaves off stalks for me since he was much younger. He used to want to be a chef but now he wants to be a hockey player. I’m encouraging the chef thing – because even when you’re making millions of dollars playing sports, you should be able to cook yourself (and your mom) a lovely meal!

Happy birthday to my boy, Aariz <3 Thank you for always giving me a reason to smile!