Sunshine

"Mommy, sing that I'm your sunshine."

As you snuggle against me, all toothpaste breath and chlorine hair, you melt my heart with your 5-year-old request.  Your feet have grass stains on them from chasing fireflies far too late into the evening.

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine...

And my darling boy, you are my sunshine.  You are the wiggles and the laughter of this family.  Currently, my favorite thing is your vocabulary.  You have taken to using words like "inappropriate" and "stubborn" and "expensive."  Words that by themselves are normal enough, but used in the correct sentence by a 5 year old are chuckle inducing.

You make me happy, when skies are gray...

You are boundless energy.  Even though a lot of that energy currently has gone into getting the top score on all my iPhone games and developing new food dislikes, such as pickles, ketchup, and mushrooms.  Seriously, what 5 year old boy won't eat ketchup?

You'll never know, dear, how much I love you...

I'll hear you call me from across the house, "Mom!  Mom!  Mom!!"  And when I answer, the only response I get is, "Mom, I love you."  Your spontaneous declarations of love turn whatever day I'm having into a sunshine filled one.

Please don't take my sunshine away.

You snuggle onto your pillow, your floppy stuffed dog under your arm. You hold out your arms to me and I give you a tight bear hug.  You have a smile that warms everyone who sees it.  You have a spark inside of you that is growing bigger each day; I feel it with each hug and sense it with each new independent step you make.  I hug you a little tighter. 

You are indeed, even now, hours past bedtime, my sunshine.