Time is FLYING by and I've been too busy to write about it apparently. Really I just would rather nap than write for my blog. Anyway, I wanted to write about my amazing little boy. He turned 4 November 19th and he is at such a fun and curious age. There is so much going on in that little head!
Z still loves construction and machines (Might Machines, anyone?). Thanks to President Obama, there was lots of construction around our town this year and it is an endless fascination for him. The highlight was when the redid the sidewalk in front of our house and we watched a digger break apart the cement and pry it up with the pointy edges of the bucket like Harper picks up stickers with her tiny little forefinger. We literally sat on our front steps with snacks and watched for an hour! Z acts out his own construction in the house, using tape or books or play blocks as "yellow cones" and says there are signs saying "open trench" and "road closed." For his birthday he got a set of little sport orange cones from Grammy. The worst execution of this construction fascination was when he drew a line across the threshold of his room in black PERMANENT marker. (By the way, thank God for google, where we learned that a pencil pink eraser will get Sharpie off of hard wood floor. It worked!)
Z and Harper really love playing together. Z has recently discovered that he loves making her laugh and he does all kind of goofy things to make her giggle. But their favorite activity is chasing each other around the house or playing hide and seek. Harper adores Z and tries to do everything he does. Z is a typical big brother who knocks Harper around himself but the minute anyone else gets even close to hurting her... watch out! His claws come out - literally!
Z and Harper sleep in the same room now (I know! I haven't even written a post on that!). It is ADORABLE to hear them in there. Well, once we got past Z throwing things into her crib. Me: Z, STOP throwing things in her crib! You are going to hurt her! Z: I'm not throwing things. I'm just shooting cannonballs." Sometimes Z will start telling her stories or even singing to her. And he's so helpful when he comes out and tells me Harper wants me after she has been crying Mama, Mama for 5 minutes. :)
I'm amazed at how much kids can absorb at this age. There are so many times he just blows me away with stuff he says. He told me that next year for Halloween he wanted to be ice. Or maybe Word Girl. (Have you seen that show? Awesome!). He never wants to put a jacket on and he tells me he turned on the warm air in his boiler. One day he was going on and on in the car about his boiler and warm air and his fire. And then I hear him say, "Because fire changed the world." No idea where he got that. Hm. We are going over stories from the Bible for Advent and after talking about creation I asked him why God made the world. (I'm looking at a little devotional thing all ready to give him the answer.) He says: "Because He loves us!" The best answer ever! (And by the way, that was the answer in the devotional.)
Z's new preschool is a huge blessing. He really loves his teacher and is learning a ton. He comes home saying things like, "Mama, I shared with Harper, because that's loving." And "that's not how we treat our friends." They have music every day and his favorite song is "Slippery fish." Harper even knows it now and their favorite verse is "humongous whale, humongous whale, spouting in the water..." which shows another current obsession of Z's: the ocean.
We got passes to the Aquarium of the Pacific and we go almost every week. The kids LOVE it. Harper likes to find "nemo" and Z loves looking at the jelly fish, sting rays and sharks. It's a great outing for us and it reminds me of how big my kids are getting because we go without a stroller and the kids listen to me and stay with me (for the most part). I remember going when Z had just turned 3 and it was a completely different story.
And that's the note I want to end on... how much Z's behavior is improving. He is doing so much better at obeying and not fighting every thing. He is still a negotiator and I find myself pulled into his deal-making too often, which I need to work on, but at least it's not full-on defiance and fighting. He is learning how to control himself more and is showing more consideration and kindness for others. I can't believe how much kind words and affection from Z can help. I know my love should be unconditional but I'm human. My favorite is..."you're so sweet" which he says while holding my face in his hands. heh heh So funny.
So that's Z. I love him. And I'm so proud of what a big boy he's becoming.
