Grey: Four Years

Dear Grey:

"I love you, you get to read me books tonight"is a phrase we get to hear often as you come up to us to snuggle or wrap your arm around our leg. I am very glad you still love to cuddle between the laps you run everyday!

You are a very loving, very passionate little boy! Your enthusiasm for EVERYTHING is so infectious, no one around you is safe. Your class has started bringing in items to share and Little Lorie always has you go first for two reasons. One, you usually have the best clues so are a great model for the other kids and two, you are so excited that you can't stop giggling until it is your turn! Little Lorie and you definitely have a special connection. She gets your sense of humor and loves your passion. She told me the other day that no matter what your class is doing, you are in the thick of it, up to your elbows in it, whether its cooking, painting, climbing, coloring, learning your letters, making volcanoes, or even cleaning up. I am glad your high energy so far is being channeled into a positive outlet :)

We signed you up for tee-ball this season and I made the mistake of telling you before practices even started. Daddy and you went to get gloves, a ball, and a bat and you want to play baseball ALL. THE. TIME now. Even when you are in the house, you beg and beg for me to let you have your glove and ball just so you can toss your ball into your glove from the other hand (you tried to convince me this is technically not throwing the ball in the house). You were in your element for the first game. You take after your dad by wanting to be right where the action is-even if it means having to run clear across the field to get to the ball and take out a teammate or two. Or, you were so busy coaching the other team when you played first base, making sure they knew to run to second base that you weren't watching for the ball coming to you :)

You love love love love love love clothes. You really love to be dressed up and get frustrated when I tell you that wearing a bow tie and suspenders or a white button up shirt with a tie is not the most appropriate for preschool. What a goofball! You have a different outfit for different activities. I am not sure if it is a good thing you have known how to dress yourself for awhile now...one, you can get ready without help in the morning which is a great time saver but it also means you will change 2-3 times on a typical day! Next thing I need to teach you to do is laundry :) I think you will have that figured out soon. You were "helping" me fold and put away laundry before school one day. When we were in the car on the way there, you were begging me to let you help again because it was SOOO much fun. Seriously, I really don't think you are my child somedays!

You still ADORE your little sister. The would "adore" doesn't even capture the true sentiment. You are always making sure she is being treated fair, you always want to teach her how to do things, you comfort her when she is upset, and you always make sure to include her in what you are doing. When she is sick, you will offer to take my place cuddling her on the couch and reading to her so I can get dinner cooked. It melts my heart to see the pure love you have for her. You offer to teach her how to do EVERYTHING. It is pretty entertaining watching you try to teach her how to play Hungry Hippo or ride a bike. You sometimes try to teach her things YOU don't even know how to do!

Even though you are the sweetest boy ever, you do have your teasing side. You still love to tease people like your daddy and know just how to set some people off. Ripley and Zoe end up being your favorite targets. You will do something just to get them into a tizzy just so you can watch. One of your favorite pass times when you get bored now is to literally take Zoe out. You two will be playing in the living room and you will full body tackle her to the ground or sometimes its a little less obvious, a sly foot that goes in her pathway, a gentle nudge to send her flying. She is a tough cookie and just rolls with it but just wait. Payback is not that far away!

You started speech therapy this year. Your vocabulary is fine but you talk nonstop and we are working on your articulation because even I can't understand you sometime when you really get going. Luckily, you are pretty laid back and don't get frustrated when everyone looks at you with a puzzled look. You are pretty good and figuring out another way around to get people to understand, either by gestures or just different words. I can see some definite improvement and I am so proud at how hard you work!

Now onto those twenty questions again that we started last year....

1. Favorite color? Black
2. Favorite toy? remote control truck from Grammie for my birthday
3. Favorite fruit? Blackberries
4. Favorite tv show? Toy Story 3
5. Favorite thing to eat for lunch? grilled ham & cheese (but mommy would say PBJ)
6. Favorite outfit? batman shirt; dress up clothes with a tie or a bowtie
7. Favorite game? the one daddy taught me yesterday (Chutes & Ladders)
8. Favorite snack? Licorice (this is Grey's favorite word to say when he is being silly)
9. Favorite animal? bear
10. Favorite song? Hush Little Baby
11. Favorite book? The BIG Curious George Book
12. Who is your best friend? Andrew....and Ripley
13. Favorite cereal? Uh, what's cereal? Blueberry oatmeal?
14. Favorite thing to do outside? yardwork with Grammie, digging at my house or cutting down things with daddy
15. Favorite drink? lemonade and keifer
16. Favorite holiday? Christmas
17. What do you like to take to bed with you? Batman, Ringo the Iguana, & "daddy" the tiger
18. Favorite thing for breakfast? oatmeal and yogurt

19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? sushi and steak

20. What do you want to be when you grow up? lifeguard, construction worker, fireman, and motorcycle policeman

Later on your birthday, you asked me if the next day could be your five birthday. I told you it would take me a WHOLE YEAR to get used to the idea of you being 4 and I couldn't even think about you being 5. When did you get so big???!!!!

Love you,
Momma