The Ritger Roost: Fabulous 4

I don't think I've accepted that I am a mother to a 4 year old yet. I still remember the day I became a mother so clearly, and how is it possible that it was 4 years ago? This boy, there is so much I could say about him, he's such a real person in our home now-a person with real ideas, opinions, and feelings. The changes from 3 to 4 have been unbelievable. There is something special about your first born, it is hard to pinpoint exactly what it is, especially without making everyone out there think you don't love your subsequent children as much as your firstborn. But there is a special little corner of your heart that will always be reserved just for that child that gave you the title of mama, that one that paves the way for his younger siblings. It's like this unspoken notion that we're figuring all this out as we go along in life-and with your sisters it is always a little easier simply because we've already figured it out once before with you.

Maybe it is because you are my first born, maybe it is because you are my only boy, maybe we are more alike than I like to admit, but Hank you challenge me like nothing in my life ever has. You are simply brilliant-you think like your daddy and blow me away everyday with just how bright you really are. You are a calculated thinker, no decision is made on impulse, you think out your options and make a very deliberate decision every single time. I see the wheels in your head turning all the time, and wish that I could see what is going on in there for just a few minutes. Although, maybe I don't want to know what's going on in that head. You started at a new school this year and absolutely love it. After a rough start to school last year, in a program that just wasn't the right fit for this boy, we moved you to a multi-age classroom at a school with a very hands on, creative, child-directed focus-clearly exactly what you needed. You beg me to let you go to school everyday, because you just crave time with your friends. We hear exclamations of "I love school!" that are so wonderful to hear. The biggest change in the past year is that we've made the transition from us (the parents) being the preferred playmates to your friends. Suddenly, you want to play with friends all the time, playdates at friend's houses and we don't even have to supervise. Sometimes I can't believe I'm already here.

Speaking of being "here", at age 4, being out in the world has brought home all sorts of hard questions and issues that make me realize that parenting just gets harder and more heart wrenching all the time. Hank has a friend with divorced parents, and wants to know why this boy's mom and dad don't live together. After explaining as best we could, we were left with a few nights of him waking up scared that his mom and dad wouldn't always live in the same house. Another day he asks why his friend Abby in the backyard (who is 10 years old) doesn't play with him as much anymore. We explain that she is just getting older and has more school and friend things going on, and he spends days pondering why Abby doesn't want to be his friend anymore-breaking my heart every single time he brings up his idea that Abby doesn't like him because he is too young.

Of course there are still plenty of more light-hearted worldly observations, like recently when a Muslim woman was walking down the street as we drove by and Hank inquired as to why she was dressed like a ghost or why the hipster kids that live across the street wear such short shorts. He keeps us on our toes constantly, always pushing the limits, and full of more energy that I ever imagined possible. He is a very loving and thoughtful little boy, who never hesitates to write a get well card when he hears someone is sick and loves to celebrate other's birthdays as much as his own. Still a fierce mama's boy, who loves to wake up and cuddle with me on the couch watching Curious George just like he did when he was a baby. I fear these days are numbered, as he is already sleeping much later in the mornings and often I have to drag him from bed to get to school on time.

Hank has changed so much as he has changed from toddler to little boy in the last year that sometimes I look at him and just cannot believe he is still the same little guy I brought home from the hospital 4 years ago. I do love watching him become an independent person, as he is starting to navigate this world for himself. I have no clue what is in store for him and his generation, but I do know that Hank is destined for great things and will always make us proud.

As you can see from the pictures below, an epic party was thrown to celebrate 4 years of life for Mr. Henry James. We do birthdays big in our house, and nothing makes me happier as a mother than to see the huge smiles on my children's faces as we celebrate their special days.

A few stats and likes/dislikes at age 4:

Still off the charts at age 4, growing 3.5 inches in the last year.

Height: 43.6 inches 99%

Weight: 42 lbs 99%

Likes: