Happy Birthday, Wesley!!

I can't believe you are only four today ... seems like I've been tickled by your outbursts of laughter forever :D

He sometimes asks, "Will you be my mom for ever and ever and ever?"

"I'm the lucky one who gets to be your mom for ever and ever," I said as we throw our arms around each other with a hug. Sometimes, it's actually with a tear because we were both upset at each other and he had just said something like, "I don't want you, I want a different mommy!"

Wesley is bright and creative. When the fire alarm was beeping because it needed a new battery he said, "There's bat in there, mom, it's squeaking and saying, 'change my battery.'" Then he asked me if I would change it and I told him that I didn't want to and that his father would later that evening. Then Wesley said, "If you go get a screwdriver I'll teach you, but you have to help because it's too high for me."

My day is filled with sweet moments like that. As well as with cunning moments. He finds many different ways to ask for chocolate milk to try and trick me if he knows he can't have any because it's either too late or he already had a glass. "Can I have brown milk?" "Can I have the milk I had yesterday?" "Can I have my favorite milk?" "Can I have something that I like?"

He is very patient with Boden and kindly makes him things out of Legos. Finally, Wesley is realizing that it's OK if Boden breaks his gifts and rearranges them a bit. He refers to his brother as Bo-bear and runs to him in bed if he is still sleeping. Sometimes he lies next to him and sometimes he tries to wake him up so they can play.

Wesley is a force. He knows what he wants and doesn't back down when he isn't feeling cooperative. Usually, I can get him to show his cooperation. He's very excited about starting Pre-K on the 24th of August. We go to his open house in a week. He'll do well. He considers every child an automatic friend and when we see someone knew he asks me, "What's that friend's name? Can I go find out? Let's go play with that friend."

When children shut him out for whatever reason they do, he just ignores it and goes on. He will play with someone until they accept him. If someone says, "You're not my friend," he goes on to the other kid in the group and befriends that one, then the others accept him. Usually. Not everyone is as friendly, but he handles rejection very well. I don't try to shelter him from it. I don't try to assume from the start who will accept him and who will reject him ... I have been surprised too many times! When he is rejected I let him know that maybe next time that child will be in the mood to play and that we all want space or special time with certain people sometimes.

I am so delighted by the emerging boy inside of him. He's tough and sensitive at the same time. He puts up a good argument, at the same time I can use his smarts to reason with him. I just adore him.

The other night I was reflecting on how little time there is for myself. Heck, I'm up at 4 a.m. to write this and drink some coffee alone today. I wondered what life would be like without small children ... sure, I'd have time to watch a movie, repair my chairs, paint my hutch a funky color, and pick out curtains ... but then who would be there to turn those chairs into rocket ships, open the hutch doors for art supplies or giggle with his brother behind curtains just to "surprise" me?

Life would not be the same without Wesley. I thank God that I get to be his mommy "forever and ever."

Here's a picture of Wesley helping us paint his room:
And here he is in the tree house daddy is building for him:


And here he is enjoying his baby brother: