4

I just…can’t get my mind around Silas being 4.

In some ways, it seems like he’s been “almost 4” for a long time. He’s such a bright guy, I sometimes forget that he’s still so young.

He loves to tell stories and act them out. He’s almost kind of nearly on the brink of reading. He can read a little bit, but for me, the most positive signs are the games he plays with words–rhyming, spelling nonsense words and asking me to read them, saying things like, “What would STOP be with out the T?” That shows me that he’s building a deep understanding of how alphabets work, and I think that’s very good.

He loves to “play D&D” with Daddy. It’s his favorite thing.

His favorite color is orange, and his favorite animals are tigers, foxes, and monarch butterflies, because they are orange. Favorite holiday: Halloween. Favorite book: Either this one Mickey Mouse fairy tale book, or The Wizard of Oz (bet you can guess which one I’m doing for his quilt square this year…). He likes lots of different shows, including Super Why, Arthur, Sesame Street, Magic Schoolbus, and My Little Pony. I’ve started insisting that I get a turn at picking “watching time” every other day, so that he doesn’t just watch MLP every day. Silas is fascinated with character franchises, even if he hasn’t seen the show. This sort of thing includes Spider Man, Star Wars, and Batman. He calls Sponge Bob “the talking cheese,” and hasn’t seen the show, but likes him.

Silas and Petra bicker a bit, but not nearly as much as I thought they would. He is learning to say, “Can I have a turn with that when you’re done?” and “Hey, could we trade? Can I play with that with you?” The other day, he told me, “I’m the big brother, so it’s my job to teach Petra to share so she won’t be a snatcher.”

After he and Petra spent the night at my mom’s house last week, I asked him if he missed us. “Yes, I did, a bit. But when Petra is here and I go there, then I miss you and Daddy AND HER.” Melts my heart. My deepest wish for them is that they will be friends with each other, and thereby learn to be kind people. He’s a very sweet big brother, and I love seeing that.

Silas is learning to be a good friend. He has certain friends he adores, and others with whom he’s developing relationships. I’m proud of him when he negotiates with another kid instead of complaining to me. I’m learning a lot from watching him learn to be a friend.

His friend Eliza sent him the CUTEST birthday card ever. The last time we were with her, she informed me that Silas was her best friend. He’s picked up this phrase, which I’m not in love with, but hasn’t used it to hurt anyone’s feelings (that I know of), so I’ll chill out about that. They do have a sweet connection with each other, and I enjoyed getting to know her through preschool co-op last year.

He has some new four-year-old privileges, like getting to have rest time in “the man cave” and being allowed to pick out his own clothes.

With great power comes responsibility, though. He now has to dress himself and has to wait until after Children’s Time to get a quiet bag at church.

Because the children’s birthdays are only three weeks apart, I have decided to alternate who gets a big party, and who gets a small family thing. Last year, we had Silas’ China Party, and went to the circus for Petra’s birthday. This year, we had a quiet birthday dinner for Silas at home, and we were supposed to have a little camping thing…more on that later.

Silas’ gifts, from us, were

• The Hobbit Rankin & Bass cartoon
• a pack of toothpick swords
• Tell Me A Story Cards–fairy tales
• The Jesus Storybook Bible
• Melissa & Dough reusable stickers
• A pirate ship from Magic Cabin

He was pretty thrilled with all of them, although he surprised me by being the most excited about the stickers. I mean…A TOY PIRATE SHIP. But, no. He loves moving stickers around to tell his stories.

I’m enjoying the new Bible. I am awfully picky about children’s Bibles, and most of the ones I’ve found have annoyed me for one reason or another. This one is well-written and engaging. A number of friends recommended it, and I’m glad I decided to get it.

And now…he’s four. Three-and-a-half was terrible, but so far, four is going okay. We’re only a week or so in, but I’m liking it. This morning, he picked out his own clothes and dressed himself, with only minimal input from me. He helped clean up his toys with…some prodding, but not as much as it used to be. I think we’re having fun together. I’m so amazed at how he’s growing and how much he’s learning. I’m especially happy to see the toddler sociopath subsiding and being replaced with some real empathy. It’s hard to believe that’s going to happen in the thick of it, but it is, and it’s beautiful.