four. years. old.

Today, you are four years old!! Boy oh boy, where do I start to write down all the things about you as a four year old?! You are FULL OF YOURSELF! Always making us laugh, making us want to scream, making us want to squeeze you, and making us want to go insane all at the same time! Things I don't want to forget about you at this age:

-You LOVE life (and always have). You get excited about the little things and remember the smallest detail. You love to go, go, go!! You are always wanting to go to someone's house...especially our neighbors house. You just want to knock on the door and invite yourself in...we've gotta work on that!

- You love sweets! Chocolate is your favorite. You are a horrible eater. I can list the things you will eat on 2 hands, but thankfully you love fruit. You are constantly asking, "can I have some dessert?" You would drink pink lemonade all day without eating anything if we let you. I just know one day you will wake up and want to atleast try new things.
- You want to obey, really you do...but for some reason it takes the 3rd or 4th time to get you to do what I want you to do. Ugh!! In the last few months at school your teachers have gone to a light system - green, yellow, red. Most of the time you have green, but you've had a lot of yellow & red recently too-hitting, getting out of line, not going to circle time, acting up in chapel, throwing toys, etc. It has made me a little upset and it just absolutely ruins our day! I have to go home after not seeing you all day and spank you. It really does hurt me more than it does you!
- You love to snuggle! Every single night you beg to get in mommy and daddy's bed "just for a little while" and honestly I love when you get in our bed. I don't want you in there all night, but it's fun for a little while. I know there will come a time when that's not cool, so I'll soak it up while I can!

- You don't take a nap daily anymore. It had become pretty difficult to get you to bed at night, so we did away with taking one every single day. If you are still for longer than 5 minutes though you will fall asleep on your own - lately you have fallen alseep in time-out, the car, or even a few times on the couch watching tv.

- You go to school everyday from 8-11:30 and you love it!! Your favorite thing about school is the playground, you love show & tell, you have the best teachers, and even though I know you are ready for a break I know you will wake up all summer and want to know when you are going back to school. We have been so blessed by PDS.
(zoo day - May 13 - daddy dressed you up as a deer)

- Your life as you knew it completely changed this past August. You became a big brother!! You are an amazing big brother! Jackson absolutely adores you! When he sees you his eyes light up and his smile is from ear to ear. You love to go in his room when he wakes up. You know just what to do - lights on, sound machine off, and then you will say, "good morning, did you have a good nap?" It makes me smile! Most of the time you are so considerate of him - getting him toys, helping him reach things, playing with him, wanting to protect him, sharing. There are times when you are not so nice - covering him with pillows, stepping on his fingers, taking things from him....but isn't that part of the job title as big brother - pestering!!

- If there is dirt or mud within your reach, you are in it. I am doing a lot of laundry!

- You still love trains. You also love to play with tractors and trucks and trailors. Your favorite thing to do right now is play in the dirt in the back yard with your tractors and trailors. You will sit in one spot for hours and pretend you are a farmer - I just laugh listening to you pretend to be your daddy!! If you aren't in the dirt you can be found riding your gator or 4-wheeler! We have to charge them every night because you can run the battery down in one day.

- Those eyes!!!!!!!!! I love your eyes! You have your daddy's eyes. We get mixed opinions about who you look like - some say me, same say daddy....but we know for sure who you act like!! You are Buddy made over - full of personality. Once you warm up to someone, you will talk their ear off.

- You love to tell secrets! You put your lips right up to my ear and whisper little silly stories. Some things that come out of your mouth crack me up - "are you thinking what I'm thinking?" or "I'm all about____!" This week you have been "all about swimming pools".

-You love to help me...laundry, sweeping, pouring your juice, cooking, making the bed, everything! Most of the time I love your help, but sometimes I would rather save time.

I am so proud of the little boy you have become. God knew what he was doing when he gave us you, and we are so thankful!

Happy 4th Birthday Warner Lively!!