Dear Gabriel,
We've arrived at the day that marks 4 years since you slowly (so, so slowly) made your way into this world. Four years old seems so big when I think back to you as a little baby and then as a toddler. You've grown up so much in the past year, and we have loved watching it happen.
You are often so, so silly. We have lots of fun making each other laugh. When you're playing, we see how you've imagined a landscape we can't even see. We hear the voices you've given the other characters in your world, whether they be your stuffed animals or people/things only in your imagination. You make sound effects to help us see how your ideas are playing out in your mind.
You've learned a lot this year. You are counting way past 20 now (though still leave out 13 most of the time), and we've been working on comparing the size of numbers and on simple addition. It's awesome to see you get it. You've also been learning about letter sounds, so we've been playing some spelling games. You recently proved that you can spell your first and last names! You finally decided to take an interest in writing. I don't know why it took so long, but you've always been one to do things on your own timeline.
You still have that stubborn streak. That's a theme we've noted since pretty much day 1, and I very much doubt that it will be going away. You crave control, so I try to make sure you get to make as many decisions for yourself that are safe and reasonable to do. Even so, there are moments when you just lose yourself. You can melt down over seemingly small things, and we're still learning how to help you deal with those big feelings. You've always been a 0 to 60 kind of kid about your emotions, and by the time we think we can help you deal with it all, you go from 60 back to 0!
You still turn to your monkey for comfort. And that index finger. We've been preparing you for the past couple of months that when you turn four, we would start reminding you not to suck your finger during the day. I figure there's not much I can do about you sucking on your finger when you're asleep, but we'll keep helping you stop it in the waking hours. You are excited about being four, so hopefully this hurdle will be easy enough to get over.
It's been a good year, three years old. We made it to the other side of some tantrums, some assertion of independence, and some small rebellions. You get many, many, many reminders about following instructions and listening to parents and teachers, but you're much more cooperative on those fronts compared with three or four months ago.
It's amazing that we could already be at four years old, and I know five will be here before I even realize it. I think I better try to absorb as much of this last year of preschool as I can.
I love you more than anything,
Mom (somehow I became Mom this year...sigh)
Let's see what has happened since your last birthday...
Over the summer, we went to the pool quite a bit with our friends and neighbors. You were not so keen on the getting in the water part at first. Finally you started splashing and having fun in the really shallow (2-3 inches) part. Then I coerced you into the main part of the pool. We got you a puddle jumper for floating, but I don't think you really trusted it, so you did not want me to let go. Or to float you away from my body while holding onto you. At all. By the end of the summer, though, you were hanging onto the edge of the pool and monkeying all the way around by yourself. I'm hoping you'll become even more comfortable and excited about swimming this year.
You also got to visit with your cousins Blake and Caleb last summer. Having three boys in the house was a new and loud experience! We were fortunate enough to have them visit again this summer, and I was really proud of how well you all played together. You started running a fever the morning they arrived, so I was worried that things were going to go downhill quickly, but you hung in there. I think you all had a lot of fun, and I'm glad you get to spend time with them, even if it's not very often.
 |
| July 2014 |
 |
| June 2015 |
At Halloween, you dressed as a fireman. You were so darn cute. When Grammaw had you try it on the first time, you posed like the boy on the costume package. Adorable!
At the school carnival last year, you got to hold and play a small guitar. You loved it! You had seen Grandpa play his before and had helped him play it, but you started asking for one of your own. So,
at Christmas, Grandpa gave you a guitar of your own. Hopefully he can give you some lessons as you get older.
You've been doing so well at school. Your two closest friends are Charlie and Conrad. Unfortunately, Charlie moved away last year, and Conrad will be moving at the end of this month. We're sad to see your buddies move away, but we know you'll make other friends.
 |
| Conrad, Charlie, and Gabriel |
I think the Montessori approach has been really good for you because you get a measure of control that I know you want/need. Your teachers are great, and they've worked with us to help you grow socially and academically this year.
We, of course, did our annual bluebonnet pictures with Aunt Jordan, William, Aunt Joanah, and Grammaw. We are so lucky to find such good friends right in our family. I always love the photographs that come out of these sessions because the series captures you so well. You can be so goofy sometimes, and I love capturing that silliness.
Here's hoping this coming year is awesome!
