Adlai Turns Four: A Yearly Update
Dear Adlai,
Little man full of might - today you are FOUR!
Adlai at the park
This past year was full of so many great moments. You made lots of friends, you traveled to interesting places, and you did more on your own than ever before. You've accomplished so much. Here is some of that year in review...
Celebrating Simon's first day of second grade
You started swimming lessons immediately after turning three and, over the year, slowly overcame your fears of floating alone on a flotation ring and jumping into the water. You now insist that you can swim but we insist that we hold on - just in case. You learned how to ride a bike with training wheels. You know a lot of your letters and can even write a few of them like A, X, O, E and T. You can count to twenty, hop on one foot, and you say that you can read ALL BY YOURSELF (but you still prefer being read to). The only time you really relax is when someone starts to read a book. Reading transforms you. You become silent and attentive. You'll even sit for a full meal if someone reads and, if I threaten not to read the next page, you'll take a bite.
In Hawaii
Adlai "Glamping"at Coastanoa
On the train at Lemos Farm, Half Moon Bay
Coming in from the rain
We've also learned a lot this year. We know what frustrates you: imperfection in anything, not being able to read or write or draw like an adult, and not being in complete control of your surroundings. You know what frustrates us: calling us names, doing the absolute opposite of what we ask just to see what will happen, or being mean to your friends and family. We're trying to help you learn your way out of this - one tantrum at a time.
Adlai's Jack-O-Lantern
Adlai and Simon and the 2011 Valentine Cookie
Eating popcorn at the car wash
You're still an interesting eater. You love savory foods like Korean BBQ and miso soup, egg whites, and fish and leek dumplings. You like pasta with kale, caesar salad, sea weed, berries, and carrots. But if you are served something you don't want, which pretty much means anything on a children's menu or a lot of the things Simon likes, you'll just skip eating altogether and stay hungry. Hunger leads to cranky and NO ONE wants you to be cranky. You, my dear, have a bad temper and we've spent a lot of this year trying to work around anything that will make you angry without sacrificing our sanity or Simon's life experiences.
Making lunch on the Feefadders' deck
Tea time at Lisa's Tea Treasures
Slushies at Target
You still love playing with, reading about, or watching trains and train tracks and "ding dings" (railroad crossing signals). You've moved from wooden trains to plastic snap together tracks to Lego trains, but when you get bored of one type, you'll easily move back to another. What you REALLY want is official metal Lionel tracks and trains, and you insist that you're ready. "I won't break them!" you shout right before you run off to find a heavy and breakable object and fling it across the room.
Train show in Los Altos
On the Nut Tree train
On the Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad
I kept all of the clothes Simon wore, but it turns out that hand-me-downs are useless. While Simon wanted to blend in to his surroundings, you want to stand out. You love brightly colored pants and shirts with trains and fun holiday underwear and socks. Sometimes you look at me, roll your eyes, groan and storm away because I've brought you the "wrong clothes." I care about fashion but you have rules about dressing and accessorizing that I don't fully comprehend. Maybe, one day, we'll browse fashion magazines together and then go shopping.
Adlai finally finds a hat that he will wear
Tidepooling at Moss Beach
You moved to the three to four-year-old room at preschool in the Fall, and according to your teachers, you are a social butterfly. You have complex relationships with your many little friends: you get into arguments, you make up, you even have the beginnings of a crush on a girl named "Jazzie." You do your best to be the ringleader; sometimes that goes well, sometimes it doesn't.
Plotting world domination
Party in the backyard with friends
Fancy cabin living in Coastanoa
You love humor. The funniest joke is always any object placed before the words "ON YOUR HEAD!" You love to listen to Junie B. Jones stories in the car to the point that you won't let anyone listen to anything else. Junie B. is about your age and usually means well but often finds herself in some humorous type of trouble. A silly troublemaker with the middle initial of "B"; that hits close to home.
Decorating for Halloween
"What color is my tongue?"
Hard at work in preschool
You've been on a number of trips this year: to Seattle in winter, Cape Cod in summer, and Hawaii in the fall. You're a good traveler these days, you love planes and busses and boats, but sometimes find yourself homesick and missing our very set routine. We went camping for Simon's birthday and you fell madly in love with everything about that adventure - including stories of the mice that ran around in the night while you slept. We went "glamping" (glamorous camping) in the fall which was also nice but not as fun as living in dirt for a night.
Mini-golf in Cape Cod
Sledding near Seattle
Wet in Hawaii
Camping in Big Basin
One of the more surprising events of the past year is your warm relationship with our cats. I always imagined Simon would chase them down and smother them with affection but, it turns out, that role has fallen to you. And smother them you do - literally - and, for reasons I don't understand, they can't get enough. Your favorite cat is Lily. Hana tried to sleep on your bed the other night and you woke up screaming "THERE IS A CAT!!!!!!" but if she had been Lily, you'd have no problem sharing your space.
Giving "love" to Hanalei
Exploring in Big Basin with Simon
Adlai won the cake walk at Simon's school
You are very shy around strangers and slow to warm up in new situations. You were scared and cried at Jazzie's gymnastics party a couple of weeks back but, 20 minutes later, you couldn't get enough of the complex gymnastic routines and decided you wanted to have the same party and take classes. It is strange how you have such trouble telling a stranger your name or saying "Hello." However, if you see someone doing something that you don't like you have no trouble marching up and telling them that they are bad or mean or WRONG. Indignation makes you brave. You'll make a great leader some day.
At the park
At the San Jose Children's Discovery Museum
In Hawaii
You fluctuate between being Mama's boy and Daddy's boy. It really depends on who snuggled up to you in the middle of the night when you were scared or who read the last book or managed to brush your teeth without tears. You haven't been a great sleeper this past year. You would much prefer someone be by your side at night. We tried giving that role to Simon, but he wasn't interested after finding out that you snore. You love and admire your brother more than any other person. I'm happy to report that you've finally figured out that hitting him, yelling at him, and taking his favorite toys does not make Simon want to play with you. This is a HUGE step and one which has led to hours of happy play over the last couple of months. Daddy and I spent an entire Saturday indoors recently because you two were playing so well and we didn't want to interrupt.
Frozen yogurt with Daddy
In Hawaii
Bike riding
Decorating eggs
Usually we're pretty active. You love to go places - especially if you are alone with one of your parents. I'm pretty sure we've been to visit every train (miniature to full size) in a 100 mile radius of our home as well as in Seattle and Hawaii. You have a freakishly good memory and can point out details of each of these trips with a "Remember when...." You also are very fond of libraries and museums. You love learning and are fascinated by science - particularly human biology. You want to know how everything in your body is connected and how it works. You made daddy show you pictures of teeth with cavities before you agreed to start using toothpaste on a regular basis. Daddy also explained how the sun will one day explode and you are thrilled by that idea. When I was showing you how there were only a few more weeks in the calendar you cheerfully pointed out that "there is this week and next week, and then the sun will explode and we will all die!"
We hope being clairvoyant isn't one of your talents.
Playing in Coastanoa
In Downtown Mountain View
You are a frustratingly stubborn, silly, smart, perfectionist, adorable and full of zest, and exhausting in your non-conformity. I am proud of you.
At the park
I love you and I wish you a very happy birthday.
Love,
Mama (Daddy, and Simon too!)
More?
Adlai turns three
Adlai turns two
Adlai turns one
Adlai is born
Even more?
Simon turns seven
Simon turns six
Simon turns five
Simon turns four
Simon turns three
Simon turns two
Simon turns one
Simon is born