Falls Church Emmanuel turns Five!

 

Dear Emmanuel,

You are our little Halloween pumpkin who turned five this year. I remember instructing you specifically to stay inside my baby pouch until November 1 so we can celebrate your birthday and Halloween separately. But of course, you were full of Halloween spirit and couldn’t help but dive out on October 31st.

You are our precious baby gem—the one who 'laughed in his dreams' and was 'born to do impossible things'. You are the cherished owner of countless pet names, from Emmanu all the way to your favorite, Ekkumani. Yet, as we recite them, you often remind us with pride that your name is Emmanuel Jude Paul.

You are our little dynamite, who brings boundless happiness and light into our lives with your infinite energy and incredible, naughty antics. From helping with unloading the dishwasher to doing the laundry; you want to be part of all household chores.  You also love to pick up Amazon packets from the front door every day when you are back from school. You’re always on the move—whether it’s standing by to watch Amma leave for work so you can proudly close the garage door or lending a helping hand by picking up tennis balls after Dani’s weekend lessons. You also displayed your tech-savvy side—placing an order for a ‘Bluetooth speaker’ on Amazon with the confidence of a seasoned shopper! Your eagerness to pitch in and be part of everything makes you such a joy to be around!

We have so many fun routines throughout the week. I will always cherish our Saturday mornings when we make pancakes together where you would whisk the ingredients clockwise and anticlockwise to make the perfect, smooth batter and then face paint your picture of choice. On Sundays, you absolutely love our shopping trips to the Indian kada! You proudly grab your own cart and head straight for your favorites— ‘Little Heart’ biscuits, Bourbon, and of course, you never forget to ask for a warm, crispy vada at the bakery. Watching you enjoy these little rituals makes those moments so special for us. You are also a dedicated helper- even though Appa often disagrees, you insist on helping him take out the trash on Mondays, and you wake up eagerly on Tuesday morning to watch the garbage and recycle trucks. And, of course, you can't wait for your special Friday Chipotle and movie night every week!

Who else in our family adores superheroes as much as you do! You love them all, from spinning your web like Spider-Man to dashing around with a shield like Captain America or Iron Man. Beyond superheroes, Paw Patrol and Sheriff Labrador rule your world with their incredible spirit of adventure and remarkable resolve to catch the bad guys.

When it comes to cleanliness; sometimes you are as neat as Appa—especially when you are cleaning the floor or wiping the windows! But then you leave me confused when you scatter your toys and mess up the floor during meals; rightfully earning the title, 'Mr. Messappan'.

You’re my little baking partner, always asking, “What should we make today, Amma?” I can’t wait to try more exotic recipes from our Ratatouille list with you—from Swiss rolls to apple/ cinnamon cakes; let us continue to our fun culinary adventures! You love improvising, turning everyday meals into creative delights: dosa pizza, Indian tacos with chapati or rice, and even bagels with ice cream for breakfast!

 

You are the ‘EmmMario’ to DaniLuigi- Danichan’s little ‘Egganuel’. You look forward to your Saturday bath bomb showers together; even though most often it ends up in sibling splash wars.  And even though you often stretch my nerves with your classic sibling banter-” Dani, the swing is open!"  “Nanana boo-boo” followed moments later by "Hey Google, why is Dani yelling and crying?!”. Plus, who runs Dani with his Chick-fil-A sandwich on Friday evening before tackling his own chipotle bowl! I still believe that your brotherly bond will grow stronger through the years and you will indeed, realize one day what the greatest gift I ever gave you was!

You melt our hearts with your spontaneous expressions of love—those endearing remarks like “I love you,” “You are amazing,”  and even the  playful “Come on, man!” , or cheeky “ No, Thank you!”( mostly when asked to pick up stuff) or cryptic little gems as “Have for your needs?!.” Along with your surprise, warm hugs, these moments remind us just how lucky we are to have you in our lives.

You are going to be an amazing big brother to Kunju Mary and I can’t wait to see your sibling love blossom beautifully into something deep and magical.  I can already picture you buckling her car seat, walking her to the baby classroom, feeding her, changing diapers, and reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar—just like you promised.

You were so excited for your birthday even weeks before the date!  In the days leading up to it, you had fun celebrating Spirit Week, dressing up for Monster Monday, Troll Tuesday, Wizard Wednesday, and finishing with Trunk-or-Treat Thursday in your amazing Spider-Man costume. On the morning of your birthday, you woke up singing, “Happy Birthday, Emmanuel Patrol!” The fun continued with your Halloween birthday party on Friday, celebrating with your friends at Beaver Creek; enjoying a delicious Bundt cake; and then carving a pumpkin with me and coloring it in the evening. And, like a true Halloween superhero, you had even more fun handing out candies than going trick-or-treating!

And of course, you deserved a second day of grand celebration with your core family! You had specifically requested a hundred balloons, and a thousand guests- dream big on your birthday, right?! Appa and Amma worked our magic with a colorful balloon arch in our living room to make you feel truly special as we celebrated this milestone.  My fingers were practically staging a protest after tying what felt like an endless stream of balloons, but the aches and pains disappeared the moment I saw your face light up with excitement, enjoying the rainbow popsicles and blowing the number five candle on the delicious, white vanilla cake.

I hope you get to create warm, unforgettable, birthday memories every year!
Stay happy, stay healthy, stay blessed!

DanNevNikJyos.