Prince Henry looks at 4.

Our sweet and joyful boy we are so thankful for these four years knowing you.  There is a love for life that pours out of you;  It is a contagious quality that makes our world so much better. 

The sound of superhero theme songs resonate through our home accompanied by the thud of size 11 feet.  There must be a four year old around!!!  When sports are in play your voice changes dramatically to a deep announcers grumble as you shout out play by play action and announce who is on tv.  “From the universe of Texas, Jordan Spieth!!!”  “Tyler Ulis dribbles the ball, he jumps up, takes the shot, IT’S GOOD!!!!!!”   Lately you have been practicing your animal noises and ask me to critique your tiger, lion, and elephant roars almost daily.  You have always been a lover of music and that has not changed but your creativity has grown with it.  Grabbing a guitar or your microphone and making up lyrics to tell a story through song is a favorite activity,  and honestly they are surprisingly great.  But maybe I shouldn’t be surprised at all; everything you do seems effortlessly wonderful. 

 You have an imagination filled with wonder.  It is beautiful and silly and surrounds our days in childhood memories to numerous to count or record.  You enjoy getting into character, using silly voices and having us call you by your newest identity to play along.  What a little entertainer you are!  The statements you make are so Henry profound I wish I could constantly have access to a rewind button so I could record exactly what and how you said something.

Being three was tough at times.  There was a lot of physical and mental stretching that happened over the past year that often came with growing pains.  These moments of discomfort were sometimes felt by you, and other times by your father and I.  You constantly tried to push the envelope and we constantly had to push back.  You are such a good boy but we felt it was so important to keep your boundaries in check.  (talk about exhausting)  There were months where you fought bed time for hours every night, then came naps.  On days when you wouldn’t sleep we felt like a wild bear lived at our home by 6:00….growing pains.  We turned nap time into quiet resting time and you slowly learned to stay in your room and play on your own.  Now you sleep during the day only if you've had an exhausting physical kind of day.  Gone are the days of falling asleep in my arms every afternoon;  and though I have always loved to watch you while you sleep I now make sure to peek in on you whenever you have an afternoon snooze just to soak it in.

 Sweet blanky has a few war wounds these days.  As you would say, the holes "are from all the lovin I give him."  He is still a must for you to fall sleep and you enjoy him the most when he's cold and scented with lavender essential oil.

 

Playing independently has been difficult to learn but once mastered it became enjoyable to watch you entertain yourself.  Having a sister and going to preschool presented challenges in sharing.  It’s a hard lesson and one that you will have to relearn at every stage in life.  The past few months we have delighted in seeing you voluntarily give up a toy for Mallie Lynn or a friend.  You have sweetly offered to share some of your favorite candy or treats with us simply because you wanted us to experience it too.  It makes a mamas heart smile to feel like things are clicking and know you are maturing in a beautiful way. 

 Learning to be a big brother was tough at times too, but you handled it so well.   Not being able to play as hard as that pent up boy energy would like proved to be a daily struggle.  You are loving and thoughtful with her while taking her one year old tantrums with a grain of salt.  You have learned to look out for her and offer help, which is a bigger blessing than you know.

 

In the past few months you have wanted to be more helpful around our house.  Instead of whining or complaining which we tried for so long to stop, you all of a sudden accept requests to do small jobs with us.  On several occasions you have even helped make my bed, fold clothes, or clean up toys without being asked.  These little moments are small yet pivotal because they show us you aren’t just turning four, you’re really growing up. 

 You're spiritual growth has been a beautiful gift to us, more than any other part of you this year.  The questions you ask and the way you comprehend them astound me.  I love that you don't just accept what you're being taught, but you soak it in ponder and absorb your truths.  It has been a sweet journey to grow in my own faith as I search for the Holy Spirits help to answer your pondering mind.  You have a greater understanding of who God is and what heaven holds for us than many.   I pray for your continued belief and a growing relationship with Christ, and I am forever grateful that I get to walk with you in your journey.  Our journey.  You have the most insightful questions about the world and the every day things you don't yet understand.  It amazes me to see how your precious little brain works.
I adore you more than you will ever know my precious and loved son.  With tears in my eyes I write this and say there has been no greater change or moment in my life than the day you helped make me a mom.  Thank you for challenging, teaching, loving, and living with such a passion that this world will gravitate towards your goodness.

P.S. you are so handsome it's almost not right.

All my love for all eternity,
Mommy