(Please excuse all the empty space - I don't know why it's there. In the editor, it's not. Oh, blogger.)
On May 7, Ryan turned four years old! And we were far too busy celebrating for me to blog about it :) But, nearly two months later, I thought I'd do a round-up of all of the fun things I can think of about Ryan as a four-year-old.
Ryan has come out of his shell a lot lately. We had some friends over yesterday evening and the moment they arrived, he started talking and didn't stop for a solid five minutes. Even when we've had workers or other strangers (to him) over, he has been quick to chat them up. It's been cracking Mason & I up. Now, if you get him in a big group or ask him to do any kind of performance in front of somebody other than immediate family, he is still our same shy little boy. But it's been a lot of fun to watch him grow and change in his interactions with others. His preschool teacher told me at the end of the year that she couldn't believe how far he had come since the beginning - he'd gone from not participating in circle time at all to fully participating and even initiating games and activities with his friends.
Speaking of friends, Ryan loves his friends and is blessed to have so many of them! He has his playgroup friends who he's known since he was a baby, his preschool friends (who he is missing this summer!), and his church friends. And he loves hanging out with all of them.
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| Enjoying a cookie with his lifelong friends, Emelia and Sophia, on our front porch |
His very best friend of all, though, is his brother, and while I generally don't like this expression, it makes my heart smile to be able to say that :) I was honestly quite nervous about having them both home so much over the summer and having to constantly referee, but I have been pleasantly surprised. Their increased time together seems to have only brought them closer, and I love the way that they are able to play together now. The other day, Ryan was doing a puzzle in the dining room and Kaeden was wandering around elsewhere. He called out, "Ry Ryyyy" and Ryan answered "I'm in here, Kaeden" - it was such a simple interaction, but so sweet. They both love each other's company, and while I know that won't always be the case, I am so blessed by it right now. Oh, and Ryan often calls Kaeden "sweet boy", which I just love.
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| My boys together at Duke Gardens |
Ryan also loves his cousin Atticus and especially loves how much Atticus loves him. When I say that we're going to see him, Ryan usually replies with something like, "Atticus will be so excited to see his Ry Ry. He loooves me!" Yeah, humility is something we need to work on a little bit around here. But really, he enjoys being the big cousin as well as the big brother and loves every chance he gets to chase Atticus around in circles :)
Ryan is also very excited about the new baby and often comments on how my belly is getting bigger and gives "the baby" kisses. He still claims that it's a girl (we'll hopefully find out for sure on July 12) but given his relationship with Kaeden, I think he'll be just fine if it's another boy.
Ryan continues to be a rule follower by nature, although I am learning more and more that he is even more of a follower than a rule follower. While he almost never comes up with mischief on his own, if he is playing with his friends and they do something that is not allowed, he doesn't think twice before following right along. This has been a subject of much discussion between the two of us and some anxiety on my part (thinking ahead to older years), but I really can't complain - he always has been and continues to be a pretty easy child to parent, and I'm thankful for that... especially given that #2 is proving to be a little more challenging.
Ryan took swim lessons in May and June and really enjoyed them. They have been great for me, because they more or less eliminated his fear of water getting in his eyes, which means bath time is a whole lot easier these days. He got to where he could take a few strokes on his own before he came up gasping for air, but that is still a long way from where he was, so I was pleased with his progress, as was he. He will tell you now that he knows how to swim. Like I said, humility...
Building is probably still Ryan's favorite activity, although in the past couple of weeks, he has begun another puzzle phase, which has been great considering how hot it's been here. He's doing 100 piece puzzles mostly on his own, and he even enjoys doing bigger ones with me or Mason. It's been a lot of fun for us, since we both enjoy doing puzzles as well, and it's a nice chance to just spend some quiet, restful time with Ryan.
He has also become quite the little artist, and spends a lot of time in the office working at his project table. It's fun to see his ability grow, but even more than that, his creativity comes out a lot in his art, and I really enjoy getting glimpses of that.
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| Just being goofy - he has unique ideas about what will make a good photo sometimes. |
He still LOVES books and enjoys our fairly frequent trips to the "librarian" to pick out new books. We don't ever stay long, because Kaeden has trouble being patient and quiet, but we often spend the majority of the remainder of the day reading. Whenever he gets bored with other activities, reading is his go-to. While it's a special thing to get to snuggle on the couch and read to him, Mason & I are both looking forward to the day when he can read to himself. I just know he will love not having to rely on us to read to him all the time.
TV is also still completely engrossing for him, probably because I don't let him watch it all that often. He gets "movie rest time" every Friday afternoon, which he loves... and so do I! He gets to watch TV shows while Kaeden naps rather than resting in his room, and I get a bit of an extended time to get things done or just relax myself. His favorite show at the moment is Wonder Pets. Other top choices are Busytown Mysteries and Bob the Builder.
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| Enjoying movie rest time soon after moving in, before we got our couches! |
We've said it his whole life, but Ryan is truly a sweet child. There is just no better way to describe him, and I am so blessed to be his mommy.
Here are his 4 year photos from Duke Gardens. He loved the tree!
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| A very sweet elderly woman offered to take our picture together. This is what we got :) |
