October 2014: 49 months (4 years and one month old)

Dear Patrick,

• On Wednesday 10/1, I took a video (of the video monitor in our room actually) of you talking in bed before sleep. You do this often and we love it. I wanted to get some of it on film so you could one day hear yourself - you are just so creative and funny. This particular night you were a pirate and eagle was your first mate. Speaking of “your guys” we seem to have lost Elephant - that rascal - but hope he will turn up soon.
• I took a picture of you that will appear in a print ad for Greenville running in four magazines next month.
• When making coffee you said of the milk frother and Nespresso that, “these machines are friends - they work well together.”
• Your uncle Jono came to town Thursday 10/2 and then again on Saturday 10/4, and you loved it!  “Let’s fight,” you’d say when asking your uncle to wrestle on the bed or couch. This was also the first time in history that you asked for someone other than your parents to read you a book before bed (with us here!). And when you woke in the morning, you went straight to Jono’s room to snuggle and tell stories. We let you be late to school that Friday - just so you could have some extra time together.
• You have so many bumps and bruises this month it’s almost alarming. And the fact that you and Rivers decided to slide your foreheads across the carpet at school resulting in a serious rug-burn, doesn’t help.
• We shared a babysitter with the Satterfields on Saturday 10/11 so that you, Sylvie and Maeve could stay home and play while all the parents went to Fall for Greenville, and it was a huge success!  You wanted to sleep in “your room” (the guest room with us on a mattress on the floor), which Sylvie didn’t like because she wanted you to sleep with her but eventually she accepted, and it all went smoothly according to the sitter. You did talk in your sleep - the first time I’ve ever heard you do that and it was so funny! You shouted, “Rock and Roll” in the pitch black middle of the night, which made me laugh and your Dad very proud. 
• You ate a turkey sandwich with lettuce and mayo for the first time on Sunday 10/12. You helped your Dad make it, and then decided to eat it. Hooray for additional food options!
• After putting you to bed the evening of 10/15, I found Duckie in the living room and since I knew you were still awake because I could hear you talking in your room, I decide to bring Duckie to you. There you were: sitting straight up, back against your pillow with the blanket drawn and a book wide open on your lap. “I’m reading to my guys,” you told me. It was dark, but your style of reading doesn’t actually require seeing the words. Since then, you’ve read a book to your guys almost every night.
• You are very agreeable. If you ask to do something and we need to modify your request slightly to make it acceptable (like no to ice cream for breakfast, but how bout we do that later tonight after dinner) - you almost always go along. I don’t know if all children are this “easy” but you seem to be very open to compromise. “Okay!” you say with enthusiasm as if it was your idea.
• When I sit at the dining room table, you like to pretend that I’m a slide and you climb up my back and into my lap in order to slide down my legs to the floor.  It works particularly well when we are both in PJs, and you want to do it over and over again.
• Pumpkin carving was really exciting this year with you - you looked forward to lighting both pumpkins on the porch.
• We treated you to a lemon icy from the artisan cart nearby Roost Friday 10/24 after you finished your dinner. Since we were sitting outside and had a view of the large plaza area from our table, we allowed you to venture alone and thank them. You ran down the restaurant steps and around the fountain, and when you got to the guys, we watched you give them both a high-five.  Then you just hung out for a while talking like you were old friends.
• I had my kidney stone surgery this month and Omi came to Greenville, which was a HUGE help in more ways than I can ever type!  During her time, she told this one story of taking you to TJMaxx where in the process of purchasing a very cool “Crane Truck” the cashier talked about being tired and working late that night. Then apparently as you and Omi were walking away, you stopped, turned around and yelled back to the woman behind the counter, “I hope you sleep well.” Yep, that's my boy - always listening, always aware and always thinking of others.
• I heard you tell your father, “Let’s watch the guys on TV cook something - like shrimp. I like shrimp.” Your Dad asked, “Have you ever had shrimp?” “No,” you answered, “but I know I like it.”
• Gangie made you the proud owner of a big Bumble Transformer, which you LOVE. He is a legit member of the family eating dinner with us and reading your new Highlights Magazine that came this month from Aunt Jen and Uncle Jono.
• The entire bowl of Halloween candy was stolen from our front porch this year. Later that evening when some other kids came by our house asking for candy, you offered YOURS and held out your hard earned bucket to share!  You volunteered to give strangers your candy. You have a very sweet heart, Patrick.