I want to wish my youngest son, #AddisonPearceSiemko, a very Happy Birthday. One filled with much love with that special woman #MaddyAlyson who will treat you as you deserve, with lots of hugs and kisses and cake too!
You came into this world almost seven weeks prematurely but made up for it quickly. I remember your birth like yesterday, a cold winter night, much like today; it only took me twelve hours until I met you, face to face. Everyone left us to get changed, although you decided to make your debut, so I caught you myself. It was amazing to see you all after all these months of being on bedrest, not allowed to move, and there you were, all 6 lb 13 1/2 oz and 21 inches long. Somehow you didn’t have a squished head, instead, it was perfectly shaped like an oval, with lots of dark curly hair that would be shaved off for your I.V. and placed into an incubator at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital! Shortly thereafter, all of your hair fell out, and was completely replaced by the spectacular blondie boy with those #blueeyes that we were always receiving compliments on! We knew you’d be tall just like your Father, and you were also a good little eater, so much that I couldn’t keep up with you. Then, at three weeks came the colic for eighteen WEEKS, we slept at four hour intervals and then at exactly twenty-two WEEKS, Addison, you stopped crying and became a HAPPY BABY, very portable, and regardless of having an older brother that adored and played cars with you, I never heard a complaint from you.
You took your first step at eleven months, and then you ran! You ran all around the house, and at that time was a three-level townhome. There you went, with me and your brother Jonathan following before and after, down the stairs. Since you had an older brother to watch and emulate as you grew, it was good and not so good.
At times, I would find you both trying to get the treats down from the top of the refrigerator, by hearing the garbage can being dragged over by both sons, then the smallest, climbing quickly up to the countertop and cupboards, standing on his tippy toes….just then I swooped in and grabbed BOTH off the garbage can and the counter. Boy, their time out can still be reminisced about today, just ask either one about the incident. No cookies or treats were to be had that day. No, and no sending them to their rooms, as Addison’s room had a TV with games and Jonathan’s had books on tapes. So they were sanctioned to the stairs where I could watch you not move a muscle, save your blankets that were allowed to be of comfort; after all, you were only three and five years of age, respectively.
Then there were your pets, Barney and Fred, Goldfish that you were allowed to adopt, feed and follow the responsibilities at the ages of eight and ten. Cleaning the fishbowl became a huge chore because you both wanted to do it, but the transfer of your fish to a holding bowl made them jump right back out. We had a fun time trying to scoop them both up without squishing the life out of their little gold skins. Then one fatal day, we came downstairs to the family room to find Fred floating on his back in their home. Tears flowed, and we had to call Father at work to calmly discuss what to do. He recommended giving Fred a way to Lake Ontario via the toilet, and he would take you after work to adopt another one.
You were above all others in your video game skills and took it upon yourself to call YTV and Nicholas Picolas to attend his Gameshow with Mike Bosak. I was in the hospital for surgery, while watching you so proudly with your “A” sweat shirt on, you played so well that you won, and brought home a NEW GAME of Mario Bros., a T-shirt and a video of the shows previously. When I saw you on TV, I moved my head so much that the nurse had to inject me with a needle, she didn’t know why I was so excited.
You were never one to sit and be quiet; you were always a busy little guy, especially in your artistry, that is, until the day we found out that all five reams of paper that we had provided you with were now used up and hidden in your closet and drawers of the bed. Uh oh, Father was in his cleaning mode, and there went all of your artwork in one fell swoop; however, I kept at least ten pages and put them in a prominent place in the kitchen.
After growing up gleefully and joyfully in a home that professed much LOVE, LAUGHTER, and weekly LIBRARY visits, you aced your school subjects, including extracurricular activities, and graduated on the Principals List to be accepted at the tender age of 17, to McGill University in Quebec. I always cried upon leaving you after visiting, but it only lasted 3 years, and an extremely inexplicable amount of time to secure full-time employment with your Father at RBCDS. I would say that you have done very well for yourself as you managed to work on many interests and extracurricular projects during the same period, and that was your music. First, with self-recording (www.Idylly.com), then your band,www.RedNightfall.com) which has just released their most recent EP (all of the original members were fellow students from #LordElgin).
I congratulate you on your most recent endeavour, one of homeownership, which delivers you and your Bride much Joy and Knowledge in your present role as an active Board member of your new home. I love your Mila and Momo and how you show love to them daily, after all, they are my grand kittens, and you shouldn’t expect less from parents.
Never give up, always be patient with others, and the rule about the library is as follows: always be reading a minimum of three books, hot, hotter and cold, so you can always be learning like what we did when you were little. The library allowed us to borrow the amount of your age, but I made sure we didn’t go over 14. Always ensuring that the #booksontape were separate. Nowadays, being a patron of the library is so much better and satisfying than when I took Grandpa Pearce every Saturday in Hamilton. That’s how he learned from his daughter, similar to you teaching me the Computers and Music. I hope that you enjoy these memories and #warmwishes from a Mom that loves you from the Bottom of Her Heart, To The Top Of Yours!
Addison, my closing note to you, my baby boy, is to keep smiling, singing, and showing love like the Pearces and Siemkos before you.
Mom Oxoxox January 6th, 1987.
addisonpearcesiemko, warmwishes, birthdaywishes, music, rednightfall, idylly, rbcds, pianos,
Gail Siemko 