May 2015: 56 months (4 years and eight months old)

Dear Patrick,

• You call the space behind your knee, your "leg pit." You have an arm pit - so, why not a leg pit. It makes sense.
• You can sound out words and tell us the first letter of almost every word we ask - amazing. You will sound out “...wa-wa- watermelon. W!” And you can pick out most of the other obvious letters in the rest of the word too. Mrs Betsy says this is seriously advanced for your age. You have a good ear.
• You do not, however, have good penmanship. You can write your name but it’s not exactly...controlled. 
• You asked us over dinner, apropos of nothing, "What is a space time continuum?"
• You drew a “stinker-head” for Mrs Betsy on her teacher appreciation card, which sounds rude but to a four year old boy is actually a sign of love. The stinker-head is basically a wobbly circle with two lines for arms out the side and two lines for legs below, and then lots of vertical lines for hair above. Its beautiful.
• I put a “fruity” in your lunchbox and you said to me in a secretive voice, “Mom, that extra fruity is just between you and me.” I laughed, and then it dawned on me: someone had used this exact line with you before, and now I’m wondering who is sneaking your treats and keeping it hush??!!
• “Dad, I’m gonna need some privacy,” you said as you walked to the bathroom.
• If you get restless - water balloons, a water gun and army men are a solution.
• Michael came into town and stayed for five days over Cinco de Mayo with Omi & Pop across the street. We had a couple spend-the-night parties, after school snack times, lunch dates, happy hours (with signature lemon drop martinis), great meals out and wonderful meals in gathered around the island on our new counter stools that Michael put together…  It all went by so fast, but I hope you have a few good memories from this month. My favorite times were seeing you snuggled close to Omi on the couch with her ipad and headphones, your uncle carrying you across the street after you took up too much room in his bed, watching you play “Capture the Cards” (War) with the guys, and Pop teaching you to toss a ball with your hip turned and your hand coming through by your ear. You have a good arm!  
• Lisa Howell returned a pedometer that was left at her house and said that when she asked if it was yours, you replied, "Oh, yes that's mine - I got it at yoga." You and I went to one yoga class on 5/9 and now, all of a sudden, we appear to be a family of athletic yogis.
• Your Dad and Biggie took you to a Dino-adventure at the TD Convention Center on 5/2 and you had a great time! I thought you might be a little scared but every photo they sent had you smiling ear to ear.  You came home with a new stuffed animal friend called “Spike.”
• "I hate the villagers," you said talking about your new game Mindcraft. "Well, now Patrick - hate is a strong word, " your Dad replied. "Yes okay," you said nodding your head in agreement, "but in the case of villagers, Dad, I really hate them." 
• I tickle your arms with my fingernails and you become very still like a statue not wanting it to stop. I know this feeling - I did the same thing when my mom tickled my arms as a child.
• "That's what the real Mary Poppins wears," you told me pointing to the lace on the bottom of a shirt I wore on 5/20. "Does that mean you like it?" I asked. "Yes," you answered. It was an interesting way to get to a compliment but I'll take it.
• You, Millie & JP had so much fun dancing under the mist made by the pressure washer at the Howell house. All the kids would yell up the ladder to Mr Jason, who was working, and ask to be squirted. The herd of kids followed him around the house for a good hour. Later the Howells cooked marshmallows in the fire pit outside our kitchen door and you guys loved burning the sticks and drawing with the blackened ends on the sidewalk.
• On Tuesday morning 5/19 while I was helping you get dressed, you said, "Let me smell you," and held my arm to your cheek. "You smell like home," you told me.