March 2015: 54 months (4 years and six months old)

Dear Patrick,

• Your favorite thing that I brought you back from Los Angeles was the lotion bottle from the hotel. It is not hard to impress a 4.5 year old.
• You’ve woken a few times with nightmares this month. I listen to what scared you from your dream, and then together we find a way to “change it in your mind.” We re-tell the scary parts in a way that makes you laugh, which usually involves a toot or poop in the new storyline. I think your ability to “fix” a fear yourself makes you feel stronger, and your special gift for creativity just makes it easy.
• With the guest bed across the street, we created a playroom for all your toys, using two tall bookcases and a large open area to play, which works quite well. When Millie and JP come over - we toss you all in there and try to keep the chaos contained.
• Your dad created “nature walks” after dinner, which basically means that we walk around the block. You have a lot of rules on these walks: you lead, no stepping on cracks and you educate us on bumblebees and other nature you see. Your father and I usually end up carrying important crystals (otherwise known as rocks), leaves, weed-flowers and sticks, as you instruct, but we try to strategically drop as much as possible on the way back home.
• The other day in the car on the way to school you told your dad that he “forgot to hydrate your skin.”
• Your Biggie found a small blockage in his heart that did not require surgery this month, but he is going to work on diet and exercise so he can stay around for a long time to play with you.
• The “I am” game you invented is fun. You think of someone and give one clue, which is the best part of this exchange: kisses the top of your head - Pop; matzah snacks - Omi; smells good and leave lipstick - Gangie; takes you swimming - Biggie; tractor ride - Tom; helped you find worms - Charlotte; calls you squirt - Dad; lives in New York - Sonny & Katie; gave you Eagle McClesky - Bunky; let’s you help feed the dogs - Jennifer; wrestles on the bed - Jono; is your brother/cousin - Jack.
• “Ninjago” and “Spacer Racers” are two new shows you love to watch on TV this month. Sometimes those stories get incorporated into the personal stories you tell, and its no wonder its sometimes hard to follow your train of thought.
• You have a renewed interested in “Boo-Hoo Baby” book, which has been our personal bedtime story at least a five times. You occasionally like to pick a book you know by heart and “read” it to your guys. Its beautiful to hear your voice carry in the dark to the living room as your Dad and I listen to you talk to an audience of lovies.
• After the bunny clock in your room tells you its time to get up, I look forward to hearing your footsteps running down the hall to our room. You come to our bed and fall back to sleep - always in the middle. I deliberately set our alarm later so we all get some good snuggle time, which is the best way to start every day.
• At an early Easter egg hunt at the Satterfield’s house on Sunday afternoon (3/29) you filled your basket and then with a “whew” sat down next to me in the driveway. “There are more eggs, Patrick - I see some over there and there,” I said pointing as other kids scramble to get as many plastic eggs as possible. “Nah, I’m good,” you said. Happy and satisfied with your winnings. I appreciate how you just seem to know your own drum beat.