Six and Reaching for the Stars

My baby turned six today and informed me over breakfast that he’s decided to be a ‘paleontologist astronaut’ when he grows up.

Six and Reaching for the Stars

When I asked what that means exactly, he explained very seriously that he’ll find dinosaur bones on Mars and bring them back to Earth for museums. Obviously. The logic is flawless.

This kid’s imagination has been our saving grace this past year. While the world felt like it was falling apart, Theo was building rocket ships out of couch cushions and discovering new species of backyard dinosaurs.

The moment before he blew out his candles and declared he’s going to find dinosaur bones on Mars

He turned our kitchen into mission control and our hallway into a space station. When I was coming home from twelve-hour shifts exhausted and scared, he’d greet me at the door with updates on his latest archaeological space discoveries.

I made him wear a real shirt for his birthday photos instead of his usual dinosaur pajamas, but I let him keep the mismatched socks – one dinosaur, one space-themed. It’s very on-brand. Biscuit wore the party hat with surprising dignity, probably because he knew cake was involved. Here’s to six years of this wild, wonderful boy who thinks the sky isn’t the limit, it’s just the starting point.