Aidan is FOUR!

My biggest boy is FOUR!  Aidan's birthday was on March 14.  I can't believe he's so big.  Four is REALLY not a baby anymore; not a toddler either.  Four is a preschooler!  He's tall and gangly and has such a grown-up boy face.  At his 4 year checkup, he was 3'4" tall and weighed 36 lbs.

His vocabulary surprises me every day.  Aidan is such an amazing big brother, and he's really stepped up to the plate since we brought Merle home.  He loves to help me out around the house and do "big boy" things that Max can't do yet.  He loves spending alone time with Mom and Dad.

Like me, Aidan likes to have a few close friends, and can get overwhelmed/overstimulated in large group situations.  He also loves to stay home and hang out around the house in his pajamas like Mom and Dad.  Aidan does NOT like to draw, and can easily get frustrated when he doesn't succeed at something at first try.  He knows all his letters and numbers and can tell me what sounds all the letters make.  We're working on sounding out words and starting to read short words.  After a long power struggle (in which Aidan won), Aidan is finally tracing words and really likes to practice writing his name.

When he feels emotions, he REALLY feels them - good or bad.  Sometimes I feel like I've been riding an emotional roller coaster at the end of a day with him, but when he is sweet, he is SO sweet.  He's very affectionate and likes to cuddle, bring me flowers when we're playing outside, and tell me I'm beautiful.

I love to hear how his mind works and see the world through his eyes.  He is very rules oriented and likes to tell me when I'm breaking a rule or when someone else did ("Mommy, 'hate' is NOT a nice word!").

Some of his favorite things include playing outside, trail mix, playing video games with Dad, playing with Max, his Optimus Prime toy, cooking with Mom, and the movie Monsters, Inc.  He's doing well in preschool 2 mornings a week and really loves his teachers, even though some mornings he does have a hard time getting up and going to get ready.  He sleeps from 7 or 7:30 pm until 7 am (praise the Lord), but doesn't take a nap anymore.  I really love spending quality time with him while Max naps in the afternoons.

Aidan, I am so lucky to be your Mom.  You make me laugh.  You challenge, grow me, and test my patience every single day, but I wouldn't change a thing.  I see so much of myself in you, and I'm constantly trying to monitor my own behavior to set a good example for you and your brother.  Thanks for being my big boy, being my guinea pig at this parenting gig, and loving me more than I deserve.