4 1/2

My big boy is 4 1/2 today! Will has so much personality and, oh, I love this kid. I love his joyful smile and tousled hair first thing in the morning. I love the way he sneaks up on us, quiet as a mouse, after he wakes, to surprise us. I love that he still sucks his thumb and rocks back and forth at night, even though thumb-sucking is bad for his teeth, because it reminds me that he is still little. I love that he wants two hugs and two kisses when we say goodbye. I love his absolute, unquestioning belief in Santa Claus, the Pickup Fairy and Pirate Red Beard. I love that he knows when he is tired and needs to nap or go to bed and that when he's not, he'll work on workbooks, mostly quietly, in his room. I love that he knows when Mommy is tired and needs a break. I love that he is my cautious child but that he is beginning to overcome his fears of scary parts of movies and going potty at school. I love the way he yells hello at neighbors or people we pass on the street and the way he will talk the ears off anyone and everyone. I love the way he perfectly defines words for Henry ("Henry, repeat means it happens again"). I love the way he knows he can do things because he is a "big four-year-old kid." I love his out-of-this-world imagination, his take-control attitude (even if he is sometimes bossy), and his loving nature. I love watching him at gymnastics, running in to class for the first time with zero fear, only pausing to look for me to give me the thumbs-up sign (we've come a long way since swim lessons last summer!). I love watching his face, rapt with attention, as he listens and follows the teachers' instructions. I love watching him read, sound out words, ask questions, be curious, and absorb everything like a little sponge. I love that he is finally letting us be proud of him for his accomplishments. I love this big 4 1/2-year-old kid.