Brady - 4 years old

Brady: AGE 4

Weight: 42.2 pounds (with shoes :))

Height: 43 inches

Brady turned 4 years old on December 10th.  I have to admit that I have struggled a little with this birthday!!  First of all, he is seriously one little awesome dude.  You have probably gotten that impression by my previous posts, but I want you to know that I really do believe it.  

And Brady.  I BELIEVE IN YOU. As a parent, you just love your child with every little bit of your body, mind, spirit and soul.  As a parent, you don't even have to try.  That "feeling" is just automatically there.  But sometimes, words get lost in the shuffle of everyday life and there are a few things that I want you to know about you and what an inspiration and complete joy you are to my life.  I try and tell you, but someday I want you to look back and read this and realize/know how incredibly awesome I have always thought you were.  :)  I believe you are a gift from God.  Someday, when you decide your own religious beliefs (which I hope you do because there is nothing more peaceful and wondrous than KNOWING who you are in the eyes of GOD), I hope you completely understand the meaning behind the words "child of God". I look at you and I believe.  I believe in you.  I believe in God.  I believe you have been given to us to help love others and the world.  You were blessed with what can only be described as an amazing and happy personality.  You are naturally happy, always smiling and giggling.  When you smile, hug or kiss, you have the ability to make people's cares and worry just disappear, especially mine!!!  It's like any worry or pain disappears when I hear your giggle, or feel your gentle kiss on my cheek and get one of those fantastic bear hugs.  You are kind, gentle, sweet, kind-hearted, caring, fun, full of life.  I have had a few of the moms say that their kids (from playgroup and school) talk about you all the time.  It always seems like kids want to be around you.  We talk together about how good it is to be nice to everyone and include everyone and I think at a young age, you are already learning a life lesson about how everyone is worth time and friendship and kindness.  When I look at you, I see you in the future doing great and amazing things.  You might wonder what I mean by this.  I see you being kind to people, doing the right thing, finding your calling in life and diving in and giving 100% at whatever you do.  It might not be financially fruitful, but let's be honest, I see you realizing that money is not what matters.  I see you CHANGING THE WORLD and enriching the lives around you.  Through your kindness, respect and sweet personality (and yet some stubbornness :)), YOU ARE UNSTOPPABLE.  I believe in you, we will be here to love and support and teach you every step along the way and want nothing more than your happiness.  I look so forward to watching you grow, learn and watch your life unfold in ways you could never even imagine.  It feels like just yesterday I spent three months holding you every second of the day on the couch dreading going back to work.  And here you are four years old, in school, loving life, surrounded by family and friends who love YOU and I am the lucky one who has been able to spend every second with you.  

Some things about you:  

* Some mornings you wake up saying "Good Morning Mom!"  I want you to know that I love your enthusiasm for life.

* You like my hair pulled back.  EVERY SINGLE TIME it's down and then I pull it back, you comment that you like my hair "like that" (pulled back).

* You make friends easily.  Play areas, school, parks.  We often talk about how to approach people to play because I know it's more fun for you to play with kids, but the friends you make really like playing with you.  And you are good at asking people to play!

* You love to play Hide-And-Seek.  And you always hide in the same spot :)

* You learned to be a great swimmer over the summer and often ask to go during the winter.  You learned to dunk your head, swim under the ropes and dive down for your toys.  Good job - you didn't get the love of water from me!

* We were so busy this summer and fall that you began to wake up and the first thing you would ask would be "Who's house are we going to today?"

* I still lay with you until you fall asleep.  We both seem to enjoy that.  :)

* Once you started school, you started learning so fast.  And praying on your own.  

* You recently just stopped going down the stairs on your butt.  I think you just liked to get down fast and going on your butt was the way to go!

* You are into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Tom & Jerry.  Two very violent cartoons.  But that's all you watch.

* You have started saying things like "Why are you saying that Dad" when it was time to leave places and "Why are you being like that Mom?"

* You are a picky eater.  You refuse to eat fruits and vegetables.  You love tacos and pizza and mac & cheese.  And you only drink water and milk - no juice.  Yay for that at least.  :)

* Two teachers and a mom have told me how you recognize letters and names in the classroom more than some of the other kids.  You are really living up to Papa Espenhover's nickname for you "Smarty Marty".

Love you Boo.  :)

School Christmas Program

It's so much fun to watch Brady grow and now be able to do things like Christmas programs.  I was so proud of him.  He had been singing the songs (and doing the actions) for the program around the house for the last few weeks so it was super fun to see him in action.  And afterwards he asked me a few times if "I loved seeing him sing up there".  Of course I did - even while trying to juggle two cameras and a video camera!

Walking in - very excited apparently :)

'Away in a Manger'

'Happy Birthday to the Lord'

'We Wish You a Merry Christmas'

After the concert!

Brady & Colin

Birthday Parties!

Brady had a great day on his birthday!  He woke up remembering it was his birthday.  We had a 'Happy Birthday' banner hanging up and gave him his presents right away in the morning before Chris left for work.  He spent quite a bit of time marching around before school that morning chanting "I'm the Birthday Boy".  :)  At school, they gave him a birthday crown and sticker to wear and sang Happy Birthday to him.  He brought Christmas tree Rice Krispie treats (that he ended up NOT wanting until the rest of his classmates said they liked the treats.  THEN he decided he DID like them).  Thanks Pinterest!!

After school on Wednesday, we invited three of his playgroup/school friends over for pizza and playing.  Minus burning one of the pizzas, the party was a success and Brady talked the rest of the day about how much fun it was to have friends over for his birthday!  And then we finished the day with his favorite meal - tacos!

That weekend while we were in Carroll for my cousin's wedding and my immediate family's Christmas and family pictures, we decided to throw in Brady's birthday since my sister was home and then people would not have to make the trip to DSM.  He loves Pizza Ranch so they hosted.  :)  I have to say, this is the funnest age yet.  He was so excited and had the greatest expressions and excitement for his gifts this year.  It was awesome!!

Waukee Winter Fest

'Tis the Season...

It's no secret that Christmas is my favorite time of year and yet stresses me out to the max every single year.  I do love having a kid and living it through him now.  I also wish we could get our families to condense the four weekends of Christmas' into one or two, but I guess that's just how it's going to be this year.  Admit it, that's a lot of traveling for families that live in the same town!  We need to just suck it up and stop complaining.  :)  At least we get Christmas Eve at home again and there's always next year to negotiate better or just pick and choose and not feel guilty about skipping some.  I know it's the season for family and celebrating, but that is just too much.  Plus we just saw everyone for Thanksgiving!  Ok, NOW I'll stop complaining!  Yes, I'll take some cheese with this wine.  :) 

New Christmas tree.  It's about a third of the size as our old one and looked so puny next to it.  Now I love it though!  I wanted to simplify and have one that fit better in our house, so here it is.  Brady wanted to be in the picture that I sent to my mom.

Santa makes an appearance every Thanksgiving on my mom's side.  Brady loved it.  :)

December Activity list and countdowns to Christmas day!

I'm not a fan of the Elf on the Shelf, but as it turns out, Brady LOVES him.  And a few days ago renamed him from Elvie to Kendall (no clue why???!!?).  Brady had popcorn for a snack before bed, so the next morning he found Kendall also eating popcorn.

And since Brady likes to make snow angels, Elvie, I mean Kendall, made snow angels too!

Brady's letter to Santa.  We put it under the tree for Kendall to take back to the North Pole for us tonight~