Four Years Old

Ethan woke up this morning and the first thing he said was, "I can't believe I'm four years old!" And neither can I, Buddy!

Ethan is a loving, goofy, strong willed and smart boy.

Loving: When Ethan was little, he never really liked to just sit and cuddle with me. He was always too busy to stop to do that. In this past year, he has really become much more "cuddly"...always wanting to sit on my lap or next to me. He loves to give BIG hugs. Recently, I wasn't feeling well because of a cold and he told me, "It's okay mom, I'll take care of you." He randomly says throughout the day, "I love you so much" or "You're the best mom ever!" Some of my favorite moments are snuggling with him on the couch to watch a show or read a book. He is also so good with his sister. Don't get me wrong, they fight plenty....but they also play really well together too. There's times where I will just sit on the couch and watch them because their pretend play is so awesome to watch. My favorite is that EVERY nap time and bed time he asks Abby if he can sleep in her bed. And EVERY night she tells him no. Not sure why, but she really doesn't want him in there. But he keeps trying! He so badly just wants to cuddle with her and play before they go to sleep.

Goofy: Like his father, this kid will do just about anything for a laugh. Physical humor is his favorite. Falling down is ALWAYS good for a laugh. My favorite is this goofy walk he does where he shuffles his feet, looks up at the ceiling and purses his lips (hard to explain, I need a picture here) Still makes me laugh every time. Not a day goes by where he doesn't make me laugh for some reason.

Strong Willed: I always say that from a very early age whenever I told Ethan not to do something, he would look me dead in the eye and do it right in front of me. Not even a flinch. The kid has guts. He still tests me a lot, but now it's more with his words and talking back to me. Such as, "you're not being very nice." and "You're not my mom anymore" or "JUST STOP!!!" All things he says when I am telling him something he doesn't like and all things he KNOWS get me riled up.


Smart: You know, every mom thinks their kid is the smartest....but seriously, mine is. :-) Ethan just seems to absorb everything and "get it". He asks TONS of questions all day long. He is so curious about everything that is unfamiliar (or familiar) to him. Some days you find yourself rolling your eyes and saying, "Ethan, I don't know!" But really, his questions are how he learns about everything around him. Most of the time, once you tell him something, he doesn't forget. His memory is uncanny sometimes.Yesterday , for instance, I took to the kids to Ace Hardware to get some yard waste bags. When we pulled up Ethan said, "This is where I left my Astro Boy." I said, "oh really?" Not really knowing what he was talking about. He kept asking me if we could look for it and I said, "Buddy, it's not here, I wouldn't even know where to look" to which he replied, "Mom, I left it by the mouse traps!". And then it hit me. MONTHS ago I had to take the kids to Ace to pick up mouse traps....and that was the last time I had been to that store with them. That little bugger remembered it right away. Sometimes with the way he talks I feel like I'm talking to a ten year old.

Ethan, you have been such a joy to our lives. You have brought so much laughter and love to our family. We love you Buster!