4 Years Old!

 My dear sweet baby boy.  You don't care for me calling you that anymore.  You would prefer that I used "big boy" instead.  Ha, ha. 

So much has changed in the last year.  You have just become such a sweet boy!  I was sitting here tonight editing pictures and you just poked your head around the corner.  It's 11:45pm.  You were thirsty and wanted a cup to bring to bed.  You crawled on my lap, and gave me a kiss, then looked at me and smiled.  telling me you love me.  You must have been dreaming in bed about pow-pow's (guns) because you told me about the neighbor boy who has a gun that you lay on the ground with and shoot.  The last 2 times you have played with him, he wouldn't give you a turn and this apparently has wrecked your sleep :). 

To say you are slightly obsessed with pow-pow's, is an understatement!   You have your sister picking up TV remotes and saying "peeechew, peeechew" like she's firing a gun.

Speaking of sharing, you are such an amazing big brother!  You sing to her when she's crying.  You can't wait to get in her room, in the morning.  You are always talking for her, telling me what she needs/wants.  The love you have for her and everyone really shocks me.  Although to be fair, when you get angry, it's just as shocking.  You do everything with your whole heart.  Your new favorite game is to lay on the ground and Elsie will come run and sit/tackle you and you guys laugh and laugh.  Elise has taken to caring for you too.  She will bring you your blanket, cups, food, snacks or the toy you were just playing with.  She still can't say your name and you have noticed this.  She just makes the "L" sound.  Just about 10 times a day, Elsie will walk up to you and lean into you for a hug.  She then goes from saying "awww" to "arughhhghh" because you have squeezed her too tightly. 

You asked me one evening when I was going to be done being married to Daddy because you wanted to marry me.  After I explained that we can't get married, you sighed and then said "ok, I guess I'll just marry Elsie".  Ha, ha.  Can't do that either!  Sorry bud!
 

You will talk to anyone at anytime.  You definitely have my personality when it comes to wanting to meet new people and have friends.  It takes you all of 10 seconds to make a friend at a park.  If someone were to steal you, I would never know, because you love everyone.  At the sprinkler park, you were shooting a mom, who was reading, with your water gun.  After I explained that she is not dressed to get wet and that it wasn't nice, you went over and apologized to her. 

You love to ride your bike.  This is one of the things that is new this year.  You can peddle a 2 wheel bike with training wheels.  You are really good at it too!  You started to get yourself dressed too.  All the way to putting shoes on.  You get yourself breakfast every morning.  You usually don't come upstairs to get me until after you're done eating.  This is really nice and I would like to tell you, I love it!  Although, when Daddy is home on the weekend, you just can't wait for him to wake up.  My favorite mornings are when I don't realize you're next to me, and when I wake up, you're laying there quietly waiting for me to wake up. 

You're first time bowling was just in May.  Grandma helped you the whole time and you got pretty frustrated when you're ball didn't go where you wanted it to.  All-in-all, you liked it though.

I took these pictures on the 4th of July.  I realized that I hadn't taken you're 4 year pictures and since we were going to watch fireworks, you took a late nap.  It was the perfect time to get you out of the house with just Mommy to snap a few pictures.  You have realized that if you cooperate quickly, we are done in 5 minutes and that is all it takes! 

Last but not least, I don't think I could love you anymore than I already do.  But somehow, tomorrow, I will.  Everyone that you are around tells us how smart you are.  Daddy and I love listening to your talks and watching you figure something out.  We just love YOU!  I can't believe you are 4 years old.  This time is just flying by.   I love you!  I love you!  I love you!  Mommy

My Dear Sweet Baby Boy,

I absolutely love that when you want to talk to God, you will walk over to a window or door and look up at the sky. It must have clicked that we have told you God is in Heaven and Heaven is in the sky. I love the little boy you are becoming... well, most days ;)~

Love Them!

I love them when they get along and play together. Lee has always been amazing with LC and playing with, sharing with and helping her. I know my days are numbered before the bickering and fighting starts, so I'm enjoying every moment right now.

The other day they had a bath together. I took lots of sweet pictures of them like this...

Oh and then there was this picture... ;)

Visiting Santa

Ha, ha, ha!  I love this picture.  There's a good story to this.  We were visiting Steve's family in Las Vegas (we stayed with Matt and Amy) and went to Mandalay Bay's Shark Reef one morning.  Santa just happened to be there, so we payed a visit.  Here's where the story begins.

For the whole month of December all Lee asked for was "star wars toys".  That's all he wanted from Santa.  Everyday was "star wars toys".  We go to see Santa, who happened to be at the shark reef, and Lee tells him "I want a telescope".  WHAT??  Santa = failed, because he brought... (drum roll) ... Star Wars toys.  Has not mentioned a telescope since visiting Santa however, so that worked out good!

Fast forward to this week (2 weeks after Christmas).  We're at a friends house that has a "red airplane".  Insert 3 continuous days of how Lee "has to have" this red airplane.  Steve and I are not buying anymore toys... for a long... long... time.  Lee then said he was going to ask the next person that came to our house for a gift card so he could buy the red airplane.  NO!  <-- our response.  Lee then was throwing a little fit over this "red airplane" and said "why couldn't Santa have brought me a red airplane?" 

Me: Because you wanted Santa to bring you Star Wars toys. 
Lee: ACTUALLY... I asked Santa for a telescope and HE didn't bring me one. 
Me: Um... ahhh... ya.

No more binks...

I know these pictures are old. They are from last year when we moved your room around and you got your new "blue" room before LC was born, but they show you with your bink. It has been one week since you have stopped taking it. November 9th was your last day with your bink and you gave it up.

why I don't take my kids pictures...

Lets recap my recent attempt at taking my wonderfully sweet little angel faces pictures.  Just look at all that adorableness that couldn't sit still for one... stinkin... picture.  I mean, there are just so many options to choose from, however will I decide???

Picture 1: Lee being cheesy, LC watching Lee to see what the heck he's doing.
Me: Lee, smile normal... LC... look at me!
Picture 2: Now THERE'S the smile I was hoping for (rolls eyes).
Me: Lee, um, not that smile.  LC, look at me, look a stick!
Lee: Ugh are we done yet?  
LC: looking at stick.
Picture 3: Lee sees 2 little kids running to the park that is 20 feet away.  This was his reward for taking a good picture.
Picture 4: ... (do I really need to recap what Lee is thinking in this picture??  Or LC for that matter...)
Picture 5 & 6: Lee telling me how unfair it is that he can't go to the park NOW and take pictures LATER.  He just doesn't understand.  Why we can't play first.  Blah, blah, blah... LC is really enjoying those fingers.
Picture 7 & 8: Lee giving LC a hug and squishing the daylights out of her... awesome!
Picture 9: (this is about 4 minutes in taking pictures) Lee was just watching the 2 kids at the park, and now LC wants nothing to do with Lee after the hug... she crawled away.

END.OF.SESSION!!

My Dear Sweet Baby Boy,

I'm not sure this is what God is looking for when we pray for dinner.

Lee: Dear God..
(insert giggle)
Me: (getting Lee back on track) Thank you...
Lee: for Daddies tools, that I broke 
Me: (getting him back on track again) and for our food
Lee: and for our food, and for my star wars space ship and for blasters and for all the (making sounds) pichoo, cachow, bams and boooms!
Me: (thinking that I should probably review with Lee what God really wants us to be grateful for) (cutting Lee off) AMEN!

Lee asked the other night if God was his friend.  I told him that God is everyone's friend.  Lee then said "ya, I know.  I love him."

Lee goes to Daycare!

A few months ago my friends Crystal and Steph told me about this book "Raising Your Spirited Child" and said that a lot of my frustrations with Lee are addressed in this book.  I kinda brushed it off and stayed frustrated for awhile till one day they had had enough and Steph said that I just needed to read it.  I don't have a lot of time these days, so although I haven't finished the book (I'm on chapter 4 I think), I noticed right away that this book didn't just describe Lee a LITTLE, but this book was written about my child!  All except, he's not a major temper tantrum thrower.  He doesn't really have long meltdowns.  They are 5 minutes tops and I can usually stop them pretty quickly.


This book helped me realize that although I knew Lee was a social butterfly, I didn't realize the importance of him getting out of the house multiple times a week so he could "socialize" with other people besides me.

When we're at the grocery store, he will say hello to just about everyone we pass.  He asks random people what they are making for dinner.  He asks them what they are buying.  He.is.a.people.person!

So, one evening I am out to dinner with two other friends (this is after I started reading this book) and I am explaining to them what it said and my frustrations and they suggested bringing Lee by their daycare.  They both work for daycare/preschools.  That next night I talked to Steve about it.  I had him read the chapter about a extroverted child and ways to help them.  He completely agreed with me 100%.  This was something we needed to look into.

Over the summer I put him in swimming and tumbling.  They were both horrible.  He hated doing both.  He also derailed both classes and goofed off so much that other kids were not listening too.  I was scared to start another thing that he could potentially influence other kids to misbehave.  However, after visiting the daycare and talking with Lee, Steve and I thought it was worth a shot.

The first day wasn't so good.  I had to fight him to get dressed.  Fight him to brush his teeth.  Fight him to eat.  Fight him to get in the car.  Fight him to go into the building.  I explained to his teacher that this was his 1st time ever in a daycare setting, just so she had some background.  When I went to pick him up, his teacher said "he doesn't like to follow rules does he?"  Ya, exactly why we're here.  Not a good start.

Day 2: Not as bad to get him dressed and ready.  I talked so much about how we follow rules and listen and we have to do projects and listen to stories too.  Yes, you get time to play, but you have to follow the rules as well.  He actually rolled his eyes at me.  I talked that much.  Teacher notes when I picked up, "today was better".

Day 3: Lee was excited to go to school.  Excited about his friends.  Didn't roll his eyes as much as we talked about learning and following rules.  And his teacher said "this was his best day yet!  He did really, really good!" 

So, today was Lee's 4th day at daycare.  Today I was told that Lee is the most polite boy.  Today he was able to pick a "prize" for being such a good boy and listening so well.  I could not be more proud of him.  He loves his school!  He loves his teacher!  He loves tattling on the one boy who doesn't listen and gets in trouble all the time and how he's (Lee) not naughty, the OTHER boy is naughty.   

He just goes part-time (8am-noon), 2 days a week.  That's just enough so that he can get out of the house and away from me and be a big kid by himself.  Steve and I were talking tonight because we have noticed a pretty big difference in Lee already.  He listens SO much better, it's pretty crazy how only 4 days at school can make a difference.  But it did and I am so thankful to have such amazing friends that read great books.  


Thank you Steph, Crystal, Emmy & Katie!!

First 3-D Movie

Lee and I went and saw Shrek 4 last night.  We were waiting for our power to come back on and got tired of the heat.  Steve and Elsie joined us for dinner, but Elsie was being a crab, so Steve took her home.  The best part about this was it was 3-D.  I recommend seeing all movies this way if you can!

I wasn't sure if 3-D was a good idea because Lee keeps sunglasses on for all of 3 minutes, but he did awesome!  He kept the glasses on the whole time and was shocked when stuff started popping off the screen.  I was laughing when he would reach out to try to touch something or look to his left/right when things would fly off the screen and then they disappeared.  He kept asking "where'd it go?"  He was so cute.

He also looked like a miniature Buddy Holly in his 3-D glasses ;)  SO FUN!

Next up: Steve is going to take Lee to see Toy Story 3.  He really wants to take him to see that movie himself.  So they might be going in a few weeks.

3 Years Old!

Lee from June 2009 to June 2010. 

June 2009

July 2009

August 2009

September 2009

October 2009

November 2009

December 2009

January 2010

February 2010

March 2010

April 2010

May 2010

June 2010

I'll do his actual party post soon.  I can't believe how much you've changed in one year.  M'Liz says years 2 to 3 are the biggest change and I have to agree with her.  You just seem HUGE from one year ago.  I love you buddy!