Yesterday was the sixth birthday of my older son, the Reverend Doctor Vinoski Sweetness.  (His Uncle Steve gave him that rapper name when he was born.)

Yes, it’s hard to believe six years have slipped by.  One thing you learn when you have kids is that the parents around you who constantly say they can’t believe how fast their kids are growing up aren’t talking just to talk; they are really, truly amazed at it all.

It’s been the best six years of my life.

Johnny is a bit of a problem child, because he’s brilliant and ridiculously sensitive.  So he has trouble relating with other kids, and with a world that isn’t perfect the way he pictures it in his head, and that upset him terribly and visibly.  In his sensitivity he seems just like me to me, so I have some sense what he’s in for, and that worries me.  In his intelligence he’s beyond me, so I don’t know what that means.  I can’t imagine that being able to read chapter books to himself at five wasn’t some help to that racing brain.

Johnny is also a kid you can already have a worthwhile conversation with, and he’s got an amazing sense of humor.  He is an absolute joy.

Yes, living with him is a bit schizophrenic.  But I can only imagine the fun and educational times we’re in for.  Happy birthday, Johnny Shizzle-cakes!