June 2015: 57 months (4 years and nine months old)

Dear Patrick,

• On Friday 6/5 you told me a bug flew in your ear. To humor you, I got a flashlight and looked, and there - in your ear - was an actual, tiny bug with wings and legs. I removed it with tweezers and made a mental note to believe everything you tell me.
• This month you learned how to crack lobsters from a Massachusetts pro.
• You met a new friend named Spence at the pool, who is also four years old. He taught you to jump in from the side. You also love when we throw you in (with puddle jumper on).
• On 6/2 Biggie took you and your father to a baseball game after work and you sat in the front row behind third base and ate peanuts. There was only enough time for one inning before your bedtime, but you came home with a ball and a huge smile.
• Thank you (I think!) Suber family for introducing us to "Larva" - a totally disgusting weird cartoon, but makes you laugh like I've never seen.
• You tell us regularly that you have a really old grandfather who lives in Egypt and you use to visit him when you were a tiny baby.
• Your toy “Greenie Bob” speaks with a Jamaican accent, thanks to your father.
• You like for us to count to twelve when you are asked to stand still (like when we brush your hair after your bath.) You came up with the counting method of patience all by yourself. You are a statue while we count and you don’t mind if we count slow or fast, but when twelve is said out-loud, time is up.
• You made a decision about which “lovie” to bring to school by saying “eenie meenie miney moe” on 6/19.
• The “It-doesn’t-matter-which-foot-you-put-your-sock-on” song, which you made up and sing in the mornings, is catchy and gets stuck in my head.
• You read out-loud from the back of the cereal box: “no fish oils.” I was amazed. Not only because there is a possibly of fish oils in mini-wheats (who knew?!), but also by the fact that you sounded out the letters all by yourself. You needed a little help with “oils” but you basically did it alone. That was the first time I saw you read.
• Netflix carries old Sesame Street episodes and we’ve enjoyed watching those this month with you. The aliens that beep make you laugh the hardest.
• On the annual Dad/Patrick beach trip to Pawley’s Island, you were sick, but I hear you guys managed to still have a lot of fun. I loved the photos I received of you and Jack and Abigail together - what a cutie crew.
• When you crawl into our bed in the mornings, you will saddle up next to one of us and basically suctioned yourself to us as you fall back to sleep. Its so amazingly comfortable - except when you flail your arms around and knock us in the head. Then I second guess that arrangement.
• For Father’s Day weekend, we went to the Satterfield’s lake house with the Okupinskis and had a great time on the boat and in the pool. We brought extra goggles to share with Sylvie and Quinn. And you picked up some Mindcraft tips from the older kids.
• We had an adventure at the end of the month as we drove to Atlanta, took Marta to the Airport and then a shuttle to meet Omi & Pop’s plane from Spain. This would be the first time you would go to Macon without your parents and I had a momentary fear that we had not prepared you for the separation...But when you followed everyone out the doors and didn’t even look to say goodbye, we knew it was fine. There wasn't a moment hesitation. You are happy wherever you are.

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. 

April 2015: 55 months (4 years and seven months old)

Dear Patrick,

• You have a rubber frog that you call “Patricia.” I believe you borrowed this frog from Rivers over a year ago, and now that you've named it, she may be here to stay.
• On nature walks, you bring your foam sword and kill all the dandelions in sight.
• Even though your Easter basket was filled with lots of toys, you only had eyes for the Legos. The bunny hid eggs around the living room, which really just allowed your parents to drink coffee comfortably on the couch as you ran around hunting. Later that morning, we went to Gangie & Biggie’s house for a great lunch and it was a very nice day.
• On April 7th, we received the Stone Lake membership to the pool.  So this year, after Memorial Day, which is the official opening, we are gonna “Rule the Pool,” as you & your Dad say.
• Pollen is really causing trouble this month. On Wednesday April 8th it got so bad that I took you to the doctor, who prescribed a new steroid for your inhaler. And next year she recommends that we start you on a low dose of allergy medicines leading up to pollen season. 
• You love to wrestle with your Dad on the bed. You do this game of jumping over a pillow and then your Dad tries to fall on you (a love bomb) and misses.
• On the evening of 4/14 after dinner, your dad was doing the dishes at the kitchen sink. You decided to run laps around the island and when the dishwasher door was opened suddenly, you stopped in your tracks and whined, “Daaadd! Its in my waaaaay!” And that is when we had a little talk about tone, priorities and who is the real boss of this house.
• I suggested that you go outside to play after school one day and you replied matter-of-factly, “I can’t - I have allergies.” Tough to argue with your convenient truths, but I still pushed you outside.
• Pop came into town on Thursday 4/16 so that he could stay with you while your dad and I went to dinner for our tenth wedding anniversary!  Take care of Pop we instructed and you said you would because “Pop is REALLY old.” That made your (73 year old) Pop laugh so hard.
• You love to make pizza - okay, well, more to the point - you love squishing and spreading the dough into the pan. I would eat pizza everyday just to hear you squeal at "pizza toots" when the air bubbles pop.
• On Saturday 4/18, you & Bodhi went hunting for salamanders in the Suber’s backyard with Judson. You came home covered in mud and no slimy animals for us to keep in jars, which I’d call perfect morning fun.

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.

February 2015: 53 months (4 years and five months old)

Dear Patrick,

• For dinner on Wednesday 2/4, I asked you to eat the veggie ravioli I made that evening.  You made a throw-up sound after it was in your mouth. Either you dislike veggie ravioli or that was really good acting. 
• Conversation you had with your Dad when he picked you up at school on Monday 2/4:        

Patrick: Can I have three tic-tacs, Dad? 

Dad: You can have two. 

Patrick: Can Owl have one? 

Dad: No, owls don’t like tic-tacs. 

Patrick: He says he does. 

Dad: He doesn’t, Patrick. I’m sure. 

Patrick: Owl says he is sad. 

Dad: Oh, Owl isn’t sad - he is happy for you because you got two tic-tacs

Patrick: (Pause and in a quiet voice) He isn’t THAT happy for me. 

• You play rhythm and pattern games with us like you are a human Simon, and you are really good. 
• The first ice of the year came the evening of Monday 2/16. You stayed home from school on 2/17 and went to play at Sharon’s house on 2/18. Then snow came the next week on Tuesday 2/24 and again on Thursday 2/26. Its been an icy, cold month. 
• Elephant is home! Your father found him behind the television cabinet in the living room (as he was in the process of disconnecting our cable this month but I digress.) There was a knock at the front door and there he was hanging on the mailbox waiting for a hug.  
• Michael came to town this month from Juarez! He loved seeing his house across the street for the first time, but loved seeing you more. He brought you a present from Russia and when you opened the box you said, “oh matryoshka” like Russian nesting dolls were a part of your everyday life. 
• One of my favorite conversations we’ve had this month was when you pretended that Owl was a bat. “He sleeps during the day and is awake at night,” you informed us. Your father said, “that is called nocturnal.” You thought about this fact for a moment and then said, “Well, I sleep at night and am awake during the day, so I’m turnal,” which is obviously the opposite of NOT-turnal. How smart.

January 2015: 52 months (4 years and four months old)

Dear Patrick,

• I knew I had on mom-goggles when I heard you describe, "pee shot out like a bow and arrow" and I thought to myself, “Wow, Patrick is an amazing poet. That was a great simile.”
• We noticed that there are some words you say incorrectly, but I don't want to correct you because it makes us laugh.  For example: “sad light” (satellite), “hand cups” (handcuffs, which in the context of Legos do, in fact, look like hand cups), “light Bob” (light bulb). Light Bob may be my favorite because its as if all objects should have a first name...why not, right?
• After school one day, you collected and then lined-up across the front of the island counter in the kitchen: the peanut butter jar, a spoon from your drawer, nilla wafers and a plate, and then with a satisfied clap said, “Let’s get organized.” That's MY boy - yes, let’s do it! An organized snack is the best kind of snack.
• I volunteered you for another VisitGreenville ad (see image above) because you are a great model and I like to bring you to work. You are getting so big that Ramsey Photoshopped some length off your legs!
• On 1/11 you announced that you would like to put yourself to bed - alone; you didn’t need any help. Your father and I watched from the kitchen, where we were told to stay, as you stood on bear to turn on your sounds, turn off the overhead light and a smaller night-light glow took its place. Then you closed the gate so Coop couldn’t come in and cracked the door, using lion as a brace, which is the standard procedure. We couldn’t see you as you fluffed your blanket and tucked in the bottom and sides, but your Dad mimed your motions knowing (without seeing) what you were doing in the routine we do most every night. Almost immediately, the significance of the moment washed over me as I realized you didn’t need us (for bed, at least!) and I was a little sad, but mostly very, very proud of you.
• You still like to pretend to eat the strawberries printed on my PJs. That never gets old.
• Apparently in the hand-washing line at school one day, William and Landon (who were standing on either side of you as the group waited for their turn at the sink) were “fighting” over your friendship saying, “Patrick is my best friend...no Patrick is my best friend.” So, you turned to Mrs. Betsy and said in an effort to settle the discussion, “My mom is my best friend.” Well, you got that right!  Betsy told me this story knowing I’d love it.
• I put lotion on your face after bath one night and you said, “this hydrates my skin.” Hydrates.
• Coo-coo, the realistically-painted, plastic lizard, who looks remarkably real has scared me this month. You play with him and then leave him around the house in various places, making me want to call Terminex.
• "Patrick, are you playing with your toys or putting them away like I asked?" I said to you as I heard the motorized car do wheelies in the office. "I'm testing my car to make sure it works - but I'm not playing" you explained.
• The idea of family movie night is something we developed this month on Fridays, so I researched appropriate movies for four-year-olds, finally settling on “Monsters Inc.” Even though it got great ratings, I worried that the idea of monsters might scare you -- so I spent a lot of time throughout the film pointing out how nice the monsters actually were. Despite my efforts, however, you woke in the middle of the night screaming with fear. I ran down the hall to your room mentally preparing to rationalize the monster angle and asked your tear-stained cheeks what was wrong. “The little robot boy” you cried. What? You mean, the one moment of one very, tiny, little scene at the very beginning of the movie that had nothing to do with monsters at all?! Seriously.  
• A better choice for movie night was your Dad’s suggestion of “The Lego Movie,” and now you both have become “master builders” by taking apart the kits and building your own trucks and planes. In truth, your Dad usually creates the vehicle and then you come running to show me what “you both” constructed. Between Christmas and some extra kits we bought for this rainy month of January, you are amassing a great collection of Legos. And now "Everything is Awesome" song is permanently stuck in my head.
• Omi came to help get the house across the street ready for Uncky Bunky next month and one morning over breakfast she complimented you on how polite you are. “I always say please and thank you...except when I forget” you told her.

December 2014: 51 months (4 years and three months old)

Dear Patrick,

• You told me that when you are a grown-up, you can chew bubble-gum. I love in your four-year-old mind that adulthood is defined by gum.
• I like obsobservations you've made this month: Noticing that you were both dressed in blue sweaters, you said to your father one morning, “Dad, we are a couple of cool dudes.” And then another time when I asked if you had to go to the potty, you replied, "No, I just like holding my penis." Another time, I walked into the kitchen and you were laughing to yourself as you sat eating your breakfast at the island. When I asked you what was funny, you said, “Rivers said zucchini at school” and continued to chuckle like an old man with great memories.
• You’ve started to do this little click sound (or maybe its more of a smack) with your mouth in between thoughts when you talk.  When you get excited, there is a lot more smacking.
• I attended a neighborhood “traffic calming meeting” at the beginning of the month, and I’m making note of it now in your letters so that if/when a speed bump occurs on Northwood Ave, you will know that your parents had a hand in making it happen.
• We got an advent calendar for the first time this year and now you eat chocolate for breakfast.
• Your Dad took you to the doctor to get your four-year-old shots this month and when I asked you later that day how it went, you told me that you were “sad brave,” which is the most perfect description.
• I went to a holiday party this month for work and wore the jingle bell necklace you made last year at school. When I picked you up later that day, I told you how every time I looked at my necklace it made me think of you. You said, “Mom, every time I look in the sky, I think of you.” So, I asked what about the sky made you think of me, and you simply said, “love.” I hope I -- always and forever -- remind you of love.
• “Its time for bed,” you announced for yourself after Rescue Bots one evening when your father and I were still eating our dinner at the table and failed to look at the clock.  Is it hard being a perfect child?
• Your dad and I wore your handmade Christmas reindeer and tree hand print sweatshirts, which you made last year, to my holiday party at work and we were a hit. A tradition has been created.
• Dr. Kena gave you a timer after your dentist appointment and you LOVE brushing your teeth until the blue sand has run through the hourglass.
• One evening over dinner, you sang “Angels We Have Heard On High” in tune and with perfect Latin pronunciation. It was beautiful.  
• You picked our Christmas tree this year - well, okay, honestly, your father and I steered you in the right direction -- to the ones that would actually fit in our house.
• Sonny, Katie, Jono, Jennifer and Jack all came to Greenville, highlighting the holiday with Legos, socks galore, Pick-up-Sticks, fighting with your uncles, “Nobble” card game and great food!  And this year, cousin Jack does everything you do - he is a little copy-cat and seems to worship his older cousin. You received a bat-mobile and a jet transformer from Santa, which were the two items on your list and you seemed very happy!  A great Christmas.