Four Years

Four years old! It happened so fast. This year hit me hard because yesterday was Grant's first day of Pre-K and the Kindergarten/school registration talk has already started. He loves to tell us "One day I'm going to be bigger and go to a new school" and he sounds excited so I have to be excited too. And I am...but it really does seem like 10 minutes ago that we brought him home from the hospital or he crawled for the first time or walked. All that. Cliche, yes...it goes by so fast.

But today will be awesome. We're headed to the zoo! Husband and I took the day off for Grant's real birthday and a zoo trip was requested. Tonight he'll get his presents :)

Four Years:

 

• The check-up (and Kindergarten shots) are this week so height and weight then. As always...tall, skinny, and nothing but muscle! 

• Buying clothes for this kid is a chore! He's wearing a 4T right now because it's still shorts season...but I'm not looking forward to finding pants. Thank goodness for adjustable waists! (And can they please stop making so many boys t-shirts that say things like "Heart breaker" or "Stud muffin". Really?)
• Shoes: 11 or 11.5 depending on the brand

• Preschooler! His first day was yesterday. 
• Gets himself dressed in the morning. I lay his clothes out but he does the work. It's a real time saver. But it doesn't always go perfectly. Like the morning he put his undies on over the undies we put on the night before and went to school with two pairs of underpants on (we had no idea until after we got home).

• Loves to do his flash cards with letters & numbers. The alphabet is no problem but with numbers, he forgets the higher ones. Sometimes I make games out of the flashcards and he really has fun with that.
• Still working on writing his letters and numbers. He's pretty good with his name but if he's in the wrong mood he acts like he can't even hold a pencil. This coming year we're going to buckle down!

• Big fan of books! Our night time routine has always included books and he's always loved to be read to. And I've always loved how when it gets quiet in my house and I go looking for what kind of mischief he's gotten himself into, I'll usually find him quietly thumbing through a book. But lately I've heard him thumbing through his books and "reading" aloud his memorized version of the story. I hope he stays a reader.

• Board games and puzzles! We've got quite a board game collection now and it's so fun to play as a family. Grant is much better at handling a loss and even gets excited for the winner. And we have SO many puzzles! I love watching him figure them out and how proud of himself he is when he finishes without help.
• Pretty polite. I'd say he's got pretty good manners and he's getting better at not interrupting. We're working on it.

I love this picture so much

• Pretty good eater! I try to serve vegetables with as many meals as I can and I find that Grant is a good veggie eater. Sauteed squash and zucchini are his favorite! I always have to cook a lot of that because he always wants seconds.
• Finally a fan of ice cream (that was killing me) and some cookies but still no interest in cake. But I think popsicles are still his #1 favorite treat.

• Somehow he's become a Star Wars fan. I really have no idea how that happened. We'd never watched those movies with him but he's into it. Husband likes the movies so that's good but I'm not a fan so I'm having to force myself to find interest.
• Still loves monster trucks, race cars, and Avengers (superheroes) but newer on the list (besides Star Wars) are Transformers and the Ninja Turtles. Also someone got him into Power Rangers. That is the one thing he's into that I wish I could get him away from. Good Lord that is a horrible show!

• Pretty much thinks Cracker Barrel and Target are two of the best places on Earth.
• Mr. Independent. He'll hold hands with us out of habit but give him a little freedom and it's "I can walk by myself!"
• Contrary to that last statement, he is still our little boy. He's so loving and never misses an opportunity to tell us that he loves us or give us hugs and kisses.
• Finds joy in almost anything. I so love this! He's so happy and full of energy. Even the littlest things we do together are great.

Four years ago I became a mom and my world was turned upside-down in the best way possible. It has passed unbelievably quick but I am so thankful for every moment. This boy. This boy! I am the luckiest Mama in the world because of this boy. I am wowed by him every day, learn from him, am frustrated by him, and overwhelmed by how much I love him and loved I am in return.

Happy 4th birthday to my Grant-man!