My boy! My baby boy. You turned four today! You've been so desperately and patiently waiting for this one. This is the first year you've really grasped the whole idea.
"Mama is it my birsday yet?"
"No babe, not yet."
"How many more preschools till my birsday?"
"You go to preschool three more times and then its your birthday."
Almost immediately after you were born we decided you were exactly like your dad, and everyday the similarities between you two become more and more pronounced. Superficially you share a few qualities, though I think most people wouldn't say you look exactly alike. You share the same giant long-lashed green brown eyes that crack my heart in two (whether it be Daddy's or your eyes I happen to be staring into). You also share a mean underbite that gives you a toothy goofy grin. But the greatest similarities between you too are your personalities. Your Nanny has taken to calling you "You Little Josh Thing You." In your Nanny I've found the greatest sympathizer in my trials and tribulations with you. Not that they are many, but it is nice to have some one understand what it is like to have a four year old in a complete panic because the exact tiny accessory from your tiny tiny toy just happens to be missing, and no that other thing will not work! This amazing attention to detail is equally fascinating and frustrating for a freewheeling mama like yours truly, and I frustrate you as much as you do me. Just like Dad, you love scary things, are thrilled that it is Halloween time. Every time we go to Target you have to stand at the end of the aisle as I push all the buttons on all the "scawey" decorations. You're too terrified to come close, but you have to see it, and always walk away reassuring yourself, "Yeah, those are just a widdle bit scawey." You love the thrill of the roller coaster, and are ecstatic to finally be tall enough to ride them. You only want to read the dinosaur books with the "scawey" dinosaurs (the ones that look realistic, no cartoons for you).
You still possess what seems like the endless capacity to remember any tiny thing that has ever happened to you. At your aunt's wedding you instantly recognized a family friend as someone who had visited us. Once. When you were ONE. I could write a whole post on the insane things you remember. But my favorite part of everything that you remember is how you recall it to me. " 'member yesterday Mom, she came to our house?" Doesn't matter if it was three hours ago, last week, or two years ago, it always happened "yesterday." This crazy memory of yours sometimes leads you to think that I don't always know what I'm talking about. On a car ride to Gammie and Papa's house you spent the entire car trip pestering me with questions like,
"Are you sure this is the way to Gammies. I don't fink it is. I don't fink this is the right way. Are you sure we hab enough gas?"
As we pulled off the freeway and you finally recognized where we were, you laughed at yourself, "Oh! You DID know the way! I didn't fink you did." and rolled your eyes at your doubt.
You are the sweetest four year old. We got you giant building blocks for your birthday, though we had talked all week about you getting a K'Nex Rollercoaster (which I couldn't find to save my life). You were excited about the blocks but soon asked about the roller coaster.
"I looked, but I couldn't find a roller coaster for you."
"Oh. You could only find the one that was too much money?" (we'd seen an expensive model at Target the day before)
"Yeah. But I'll keep looking okay buddy?"
"Okay Mama!"
Ten minutes later you came to find me as I walked out of the bathroom you threw your arms around me and said,
"Sanks for buying me those building blocks Mama."
No one had told you to say that.
You are so kind and patient with your sister. She adores you and thinks you're the absolute funniest thing in the world. Whenever you sense that she is upset, you always immediately start making funny faces for her, or reassuring her. Nine times out of ten, if you want something she has, or is she wants something you have, you take the time to find a toy for her and adorably talk it up so she'll be excited about the other toy. "See Sissy, you can hab the green car and I can hab the blue one! Yeah! Now we bos hab one!" and invariably she agrees. Sometimes when she's sleeping you feign surprise and say, "Oh! I fink I heard Sissy. I'll go check on her." just so you can wake her up to play with you. For your birthday she picked out a slinky for you. She was excited so she gave it to you early. On Friday I asked what you wanted to do since it was almost your birthday. You thought and then said, "Ah! I hab an idea Mama! We can go to Target and get Sissy a slinky, den we can both hab one! Yeah, that'd be a great idea!" You always "hab an idea" and its always a "great idea!" whenever you want something. You keep me on my toes trying to keep two steps ahead of your ideas.
"No, we can't go to the train today, Mommy doesn't have enough money."
"I hab an idea Mommy! We can go to the bank, and you can get money and den we can go on the train. Yeah that'd be a great idea!" The best part of this whole "idea" game is your face after you've presented your idea, one of complete and utter shock that you have come up with this groundbreaking, solves all our problems idea. Eyes wide, blinking, mouth slack jawed.
You are teacher's pet. They all adore you at school. Even the secretary has a special spot in her heart for you . Every time I see her, she sighs and says, you're son is just the cutest sweetest thing, I just love him so. Our first ever parent-teacher conference lasted about five minutes, because all they could say was that you were wonderful, perfect, just a delight. I asked, there's nothing else to say, nothing we should work on, or be worried about? No, not at all. He's just a doll. I had to start shuffling papers so they wouldn't see me tear up I was so proud. And what's not to love? You have impeccable manners. You are very smart. You are kind to the other kids. You are outgoing and funny and thoughtful. Just as I struggled to describe your sister on her birthday, I struggle to convey just how amazing you are. And as you get older and add layers upon layers to your personality and character I just find myself more and more in awe of the amazing little person you are becoming. I'm so honored to be a part of it.
I love you booger-butt. Happy Birthday!
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