Happy Fourth Birthday Ethan!

Dearest Ethan,

Well, I am not going to say that this was my favorite year, but I still love you, and since I am writing this a month late (we have been so busy having fun together) and postdating it back to the 15th of August, when I should have written it, I can say that you are a great 4-year old! I think three is just a difficult year for many littles. Four is going to be great, and you are such a joy!

Memories from this past year include, but are not limited to:

• An amazing growth spurt, that turned you into a little boy, instead of a toddler!

• Moving to a new house, and you laying in your bed with mommy beside you, as you told me that you really really wanted to move back to our old house, the one that had a backyard, with grass in it.

• Listening to your sweet voice as you tried to tell me something faster than you were actually able to speak, so you would repeat yourself over and over in frustration until you got the whole sentence out. That made you mad, because you like things to be just so and really don't like "bumps in the road".

• You were still very clingy to mommy and quite shy. I think preschool will really help with that this year.

You are such a fast little bike rider, with training wheels still on of course, but you can take turns faster than a bolt of lightening. As well as the great arm that you have, daddy has been teaching you the basics of how to throw and catch a football. You are better than me that's for sure.

You are all boy! You love Spiderman, Batman, Fighting, and pretending you are a monster. Raaaaaaaarrrrrrrr. You also love dinosaurs and carrying things in your hands or pockets all of the time. Particularly money. I mostly give you pennies and nickels, because you lose them a lot! You are smart and like to keep your things all to yourself (aka: don't like to share them!), so you hide your things like money and treats from everyone, so that no one can get to em' when you aren't looking. It's really smart actually.

You love playing with your brother and you both fight with each other as much as you like each other, or maybe you fight more, but I like to hope that you will stay best friends forever!

We will miss the baby part of you growing into a sweet little boy, with a strong mind that knows what he wants, but can be very kind sensitive and gentle at times as well.

Here is to a great year of being Four!

We love you so much Ethan! I am interested to look back on these birthday posts when you are older, so you can see all that you have grown!

love,
your mommy