Sam is 4. My sister was still 4 when she started kindergarten. Some of his peers will go to the big elementary schools for Pre-K in a few months. But not Sam. He has the rest of his life to go to full day, 5 day a week big school. I am keenly aware that we are approaching the end of an era with him - the end of more days at home than school, more time for play than formal learning, more outings than homework. I hope to be very intentional to enjoy our days together over the next year.
He is definitely 4. Cruising on his new bike (I have challenged him to lose the training wheels, but we'll see!). Interested in Legos and Playmobile. His playground play is much more fun when other kids are around, and I love watching him create make believe scenarios with his friends and play them out in grand scale. Still loves to dress up and cars, but is also pleased to play baby toys with his sister.
He is a willful child. He is more concerned with getting his way than pleasing people. He knows and understands the rules, but is experimenting with and testing our authority. While difficult, I prefer he test it now than later. His teachers and parents have both observed independently that words are not his "go to" tool for getting his way. When things are going right he goes immediately to "freaking out" (sometimes tears, sometimes yells, sometimes overemotional pleas). We are trying to be consistent in stopping him mid freak and advising him to find another way.
He considers himself to be a big kid now. He reminds me of that any time I try to refer to him and Annabelle as the "small people." He loves to play with the "big kids" on our new street (4 middle school boys and an elementary girl) who are all surprisingly tolerant of him. Maybe because he's quickly catching up to them in basketball skill?
He is still very physical. He has a very short attention span for anything that requires stillness - coloring, crafts (he prefers easel art), and certainly not writing. The flip side is that he can swim for an hour without stopping to catch his breath. I am thankful to have an easy outlet for all of his energy this summer!
Although he'll take candy and veggie straws any time, the boy still loves his fruit. And his bell peppers. Both are guaranteed to be gone when his lunch box returns home, even if nothing else is consumed. He would probably eat 3 apples a day if we let him. Thankfully, I am also just about done making "kid" dinners for him. He eats what we do, or a slightly modified version of it, almost every night. He loves dry cereal, fish sticks, frozen veggies (served frozen), peanut butter sandwiches, mac 'n cheese. When he swims, he eats a lot. This is a new world for us, and I like it!
All that eating has, indeed, produced some growing over the past year. At his well visit we learned that his weight percentile was actually higher than his height. Crazy! He is 33lbs (24%) and 39" (23%). His BMI is 15.3 (36%), so I think its safe to say that he is not as skinny as he used to be. At his appointment he also received two shots. The nurses kept making a big deal about it, how they are "big ones" and "painful." Please tell me why they even feel the need to talk about the shots? That is MY job. I know my kid, I can prepare him best for what is to come. And I had prepared him. And then I watched with pride as he laid there and took those shots like they were nothing. Didn't flinch, didn't wince. Not a tear or a moan. The nurse was impressed.
Sam is social. He loves to be with and around people, always asking to have friends over or go to a friend's house. He is happiest when all four of us are together. His most effective punishment is to be sent to his room with the door closed. This, of course, is why he is struggling to stay in his room during "quiet time" on days when he doesn't nap.
He doesn't nap consistently anymore. Deep breaths, I can do this. He has always been an amazing napper (I trained him, through many tears from both of us) to sleep through vacuuming, door bells, adults talking, etc so that he can get his required rest. But at 4 he no longer requires quite as much rest. So there are a few days a week that he doesn't nap. I am coming to terms with it, but we do need to establish a better quiet time solution.
He is becoming more and more independent. He plays outside without us (you know, until he gets lonely). He walks into swim lessons all by him self without hesitation.
He loves patterns and routine. His days goes best when he knows what to expect and everything plays out according to plan. He hears everything you say (whether he chooses to listen is another question) and processes it in his own time, often asking questions about conversations we didn't know he overheard several days later. He desires to know the purpose of every knew object he encounters.
Underneath his boyish exterior, he really is a very loving boy. He still loves to be silly and finds his "rest" in his home and with his people.
The other day Chris and I were trying to recall the phrase he used to say when he had something stuck in his shoe (it was "wet shoe"). It was only about 20 months ago that he stopped using it, and already we almost forgot. It seems like a lifetime ago that I changed his diaper (18 months ago) or handed him a paci (16 months ago). What will we remember about this stage, and what will we forget? I guess all that matters is that I remember how much I love him, how I miss him after he goes to sleep, even when it took all my strength to parent him while he was awake. He is and always will be my baby boy.
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