July 2015: 58 months (4 years and ten months old)

Dear Patrick, 

• “I am soooo patient, Dad,” I heard you tell your father over and over (and over!) again. You did not outright ask to have the television turned on, but you were quick to point out how very patiently you were waiting for him to turn the TV on.
• You tell me that sometimes Elephant lives in Macon and goes to camp. I don’t blame him - camp in Macon is fun: swimming, tennis, crafts, new friends! There is so much to love there - although you did tell Pop that you “hate golf.”
• The July 4th fireworks at Idle Hour were amazing. You put your hands over your ears at first, given the noise, but you were impressed by the colors in the sky and had so much fun staying up late. You looked so comfortable as you waved hello to kids you knew from camp - you knew more folks than I did!  
• We are working on your focus. You can be silly at times, which is great - I love how you are able to amuse yourself because no one makes you laugh harder than you do, but there are times when we need you to eat without the fork talking to the spoon or a full running commentary in the voice of a baby lizard.
• On Thursday 7/9, after your father and I got ready for work, we found you sitting straight up in the middle of our bed making a grumpy “thumbs down” motion with both hands out-stretched at arm’s length. A little boy in a big bed with a huge frown. You didn’t say anything, but disappointment was clearly communicated. You wanted to snuggle (like you do most mornings!) and we had gotten up earlier than you expected. We talked to you about your feelings and tried not to laugh because snuggle time is serious business.
• For Big Mitchell’s birthday this month, he bought you two Star Wars books that came with two CDs, which read the stories out-loud (and the voices are very close to the actual characters.) Your father and I put a CD in each of our cars because you like to listen to “Star Wars Radio.” In fact, chewing gum and listening to “Star Wars Radio” on the way to the pool or karate may by one of your favorite things to do lately.
• You have a skill that you call “re-memorize” in which, as you explain it, you take a picture with your eyes and then you are able to see something [when you close your eyes or it goes away] later.
• I have now have heard the abbreviated version of “Return of the Jeti” a billion times but it never occurred to me that Darth Vader needs an army because (as you explained to us), “sometimes Vader gets tired.”  
• Nana and Papa gave you their twin guest room beds, which Big Mitchell and your father moved into your bedroom on Sunday 7/12. It looks great! The furniture served as childhood beds for Papa and his brother, and there is something really lovely about you sleeping in history.
• You do not like a hot pillow.
• On Tuesday 7/14, I took you to the doctor because of a slight fever the night before and your complaints of a sore throat. You told me on the way there, without any preparation from me that you would “be brave” -- and oh, how you were! I could tell you were a little nervous to get the strep test, which isn’t pleasant (stick shoved down throat), but you repeated your mantra to the nurse and to Dr. Bass and the check-up went great. I was so impressed with your resolve to be strong. You wanted to be brave and you made it happen.
• The Potter family came to visit mid-month and wonderful to have them in Greenville. You had not met before, but you were immediately at home with family. “Hey Darbs,” you’d say wanting your cousin’s full attention. I loved watching you teach Derrick to play your ipad game and helping Kimmie build the Star Wars lego ships that they brought as presents for you (lucky boy!).  
• On the same day that Pop sent an article about social skills being a better indicator of success for children than grades, Matt Whitehead told me a great story: Apparently you and Rivers had a disagreement about the flotation device you both wear in the pool. You call it a puddle jumper and Rivers calls it a swimmy but you explained to Matt that you would call it a swimmy in front of Rivers because he doesn’t like calling it a puddle jumper. You are a very kind, socially skilled child.
• You started to swim by yourself this month - really swim: with kicking legs and swinging arms and breathing. Your dad has been working with you at the Stone Lake Pool and all of a sudden, you seem to get it. I took you to an official lesson on 7/27 and the teacher said that you were so good, you needed to move up a level. “Torpedo” has now become part of our vernacular.
• On the way to swim lesson on 7/28, I told you that we were listening to Gershwin on NPR and you said, “No Mom. This is Mozart.” These were the exact words out of your mouth and I was so impressed we were having a discussion about composers that I didn’t even correct you...cuz it really was Gershwin. (I'm just sayin'!) 
• On 7/21, when I was tucking you into bed, you told me that you wanted to make a rainbow cake with rainbow frosting and rainbow candles for a girl in your class. Which girl, I asked. “ALL the girls,” you clarified. Oh.
• You have woken up three times in the middle of the night this month - once from a bad dream and twice because your legs hurt. You go right back to bed without any objection - its as if you just want someone else to be aware of your struggles and then once shared, you can rest again.
• “You look pretty, Mom” you told me one morning, “but you need earrings.” And then you ran into our bedroom to select them for me. I would have worn bright, purple feathers if you brought them back - anything for you.
• Pop sent you a math kindergarten workbook through the mail, which we did together on 7/28 and you are great at the mazes, matching, counting, patterns and shapes. However, when we get to an exercise to draw or color anything, you would say very diplomatically, “Let’s just come back to this one.” (We never come back to those.) I like seeing the way your mind naturally works and what you enjoy. You becoming you, Patrick Byrd, is fun to watch.