Kaeden is 4

This sweet little boy turned four this week.  It actually feels like a lot longer than 4 years ago that I was giving birth to this baby, but it has been a busy 4 years for our family, so I guess that makes sense.

Kaeden is my boy of contradictions, which makes him kind of hard to describe.  He both desires to stay the baby and strives for independence in so many ways.  He is mischievous and curious and pushes the boundaries and yet he wants our approval so badly.  He has extreme emotions that send him into a full body scream when he is angry or overwhelmed but also send him into my arms to hug and kiss me and tell me that he loves me many times a day.  He lives life in a very full way.

I love this picture.  It is just so Kaeden... revved up and ready to take off with all the confidence in the world.  And then there's this:

My goofy, I'll wear my construction goggles whenever I please, thank-you-very-much, Kaeden.

Kaeden really loves his family and friends, and he's quick to become comfortable around adults (especially women), but he's slow to warm up to other kids.  He likes to play by himself, and he can get lost in his duplos or legos for an hour or more at a time.  But he also loves it when his big brother comes home from school or his cousin comes over and he has a playmate.  He & Atticus have really bonded this year, and it's been a dream come true for the moms :)  Kaeden recently asked me if he and Atticus were twins when they were babies, which I thought was just such a sweet question.  Atticus still gravitates toward Ryan when he's around, and Kaeden is generally fine with that, but when Ryan's at school, Atticus & Kaeden are the best of buds and generally play really well together.

Kaeden and Ethan are also getting to be sweet little buddies.  Ethan really looks up to both of his brothers and asks about them constantly when they're not around.  I think Kaeden appreciates having someone look up to him rather than it always being the other way around.  He likes making Ethan laugh and convincing Ethan to copy his silly games.

Kaeden is primarily a builder in his play.  Like I said, he can spend hours in a day playing with building blocks... especially duplos and legos.  He also loves real building projects.  He helped Mason and Ryan make a rope ladder for Ryan's loft, and it might have been the happiest day of his life.  He has his own tool box and tools, and he'd rather hack around with them outside than do much else, even when his grand ideas of cutting trees down and making his own tree house don't exactly pan out :) 

Kaeden is also my sous-chef.  He LOVES to bake and will always choose helping me in the kitchen over any other activity.  He has recently graduated to being allowed to crack eggs on his own, and he's quite pleased about having another Kaeden-approved task.  I am thankful that at least one of my boys shares my beloved hobby.  It's always a special time for us to share... especially when Ryan's at school and Ethan's napping and we can just take our time.  

He was never a big fan of reading as a baby/toddler, but he has developed a real love for books.  He really likes picking out new books at the library, and has recently been appreciating the Geronimo Stilton and Flat Stanley books that I hoped would inspire Ryan to start reading to himself, but instead I am now reading them out loud so that everybody can enjoy them.  Oh well!  Some other favorites are A Fly Went By, Berenstain Bears books, and Busytown Mystery books.

He continues to love music, especially the Karen K and the Jitterbugs CD that Nana discovered this summer.  Hearing him walk around the house singing, "Back it up, back it up, my a big ol truck" always makes me giggle. 

This was Kaeden on his first day of preschool this year.  He is really enjoying it.  It was a harder transition than I had hoped, because none of the children from his class last year are in his class this year, but he has quickly grown quite attached to his teachers and seems to be starting to make new friends.  

He hasn't picked up on things like letters and numbers as quickly as his older brother, but he has always been more interested in understanding the why of things than learning the basic facts.  He is a great problem-solver, and you'd better bet that once he sets his mind on figuring something out, he is going to find a way.

Some of my favorite "Kaedenisms": always replacing "I" with "my," even in song lyrics, over-using the word "usually," leaning over to kiss or snuggle me in the middle of a meal (probably a stall tactic since he is the slooooowest eater).

My sweet Kaeden, you make me smile every single day.  You have pushed me out of my comfort zone and taught me how to experience life in new ways.  I am so grateful to be on the receiving end of your love and laughter.  Happy, happy birthday.

(Kaeden was the first of the boys up on his birthday, so we spent some time snuggling in bed before breakfast... and we also made this video :) )