Josh is turning eight tomorrow. It is bittersweet for me that he is growing so fast. I absolutely love it that we can go for a bike ride together, bomb down the ski hill together, and he teaches me how to reach the bottom of the dive tank. We can have a conversation about what is important versus what is urgent. We can have our coffee date and chat each other’s ears off, or say nothing at all.

This year, Josh has picked up a new obsession with books. We are constantly taking detours so he can go through the little free libraries in the neighbourhood. Even when we go camping, he is picking up books to read in the tent. He loves writing down notes about sharks, dinosaurs, and whatever animals he reads about.

This summer while we were in Penticton for me to ride the fondo, Josh signed up to ride in the kids picolofondo. We missed his age category’s time slot, but he decided he will ride with the bigger kids category. He peddled his little legs out in the back of the pack, still smiling lap after lap. He also decided he will try the kids races at the cyclocross events. He did all four races we went to. Our conversations were never about the winning or losing, but about the new things he has learned. He has already planned out what races he wants to do next year, and how we’re going to ride a big section of the Kettle Valley Rail trail together in the summer.

When we have our before-bed chat each night, he is always keen to tell me about his insights, and never fails to ask me for my thoughts as well. If he is already awake in the morning when I leave for work, he will drop whatever he is doing to hold the door open for me so I can wheel my bike out easily. He will run down the hall to get the elevator for me, and gives me a hug and kiss.

Josh lives at the speed of light, and I am constantly trying to catch up to him. He learns and grows so fast, and I always feel a little out of breath trying to figure out what is going on next. He is curious, and would ask me a million questions about everything. He loves nature. He has been talking for a year now about how he can’t wait to learn to scuba dive so he can see all the sea creatures up close.

Josh, happy birthday. I wish you all the joy and knowledge and love and adventures in the world.

Seven years ago today, I was freaking out inside about this baby who was about to become my responsibility. I was scared. I was scared of messing up, and raising a serial killer. I was scared of never riding my motorcycle again, like most of my biker chic friends who had babies.

When I woke up this morning, seven years later, I smiled like an idiot because this little baby who turned my life upside down in the most incredible way is having his seventh birthday.

I am grateful for the many lessons Josh has taught me. He is just the opposite of me. He wears his heart on his sleeve. He is not afraid to show his feelings. He doesn’t care about what other thinks of him. He thinks he is smart, but he is not cocky. He is athletic. He is forgiving. He is not afraid to try things. He is generous.

Josh is my skiing and cycling buddy. He took up skiing 2 years ago, and he was bombing down tree runs at the end of last season. Being the chicken shit that I am, I am afraid of tree runs. He would go ahead of me, and encourage me while he stops to wait for me. “Don’t be scared, Mommy. Just look forward.” He also loves cycling with me, always pushing for another extra kilometer so he can have a new record.

Josh is an incredible swimmer. He can do laps in the pool, and dive to the bottom of the deep end to retrieve things. When we went to Cancun this summer, he did not hesitate jumping into the ocean and swim next to the whale sharks, turtles, and barracudas. When his snorkel mask fell off, he calmly put it back on, blew the water out of his snorkel, and kept swimming. My heart swells with pride when I see all this, because, you know, I cry when water gets in my eyes.

Josh loves to cook. He makes great burgers from scratch and grill them on the BBQ. He also loves helping out when we bake or make smoothies. Recently we have drastically changed our diet to incorporate more whole foods. He has really taken to grinding up sesame seeds to put on anything he eats, and uses sunflower butter on this sprouted grain bread. I still have to disguise fruits and vegetables in smoothies and soups, but it helps me feel like I still contribute to his well-being.

Happy Birthday, Josh. Thank you for rocking my world for seven years.