You're Four Years Old!

Dear Connor,

As you may recall, at your birthday party last year, you fell backward off of a park bench and hit your head so hard that we had to call an ambulance to take you to the hospital. At your birthday party this year, we very thankfully didn't have to call 911 but about an hour after it started, you disappeared.

Your party was at an ice cream parlor and we had booked the whole place for your bash. One minute you were dancing with your friends while the Fresh Beat Band album was playing over the parlor's sound system, the next, Daddy asked me where you were and I didn't see you anywhere. I ran to the front of the shop: no Connor. I ran to the back of the shop and looked in the bathroom: no Connor. I ran back to the front of the shop and still couldn't find you, so I started to panic that you might have sneaked outside and gone into the street while no one was watching you. 

Fortunately, that's when your friend Bella's mom looked under one of the tables and found you sitting under it, quietly hiding from all of the chaos that generally comes with a big party of 23 adults and 21 kids (of which many are *loud* preschoolers). A wave of relief washed over me but yeesh, can we please have a birthday where you don't give me a heart attack?!

Your party actually had a lot more drama than I expected, as we got a glimpse of your teen years and the potential heartache you and your friends will experience. Hailey became a little jealous when she arrived at the party and saw you sitting next to Bella. And you and Marcus got into a shouting match when you both wanted to hug Bella. Four going on fourteen, apparently.

Missing child incidents and teenage drama aside, the rest of the party was fun! You had a blast working on art projects, dancing with your friends and eating your weight in sugar when you consumed two chocolate-iced cookies, a lollipop and two scoops of chocolate ice cream topped with M&Ms, rainbow sprinkles and hot fudge. Near the end of the party, you declared, "I really like my birthday!"

Back at home after the party, you told me excitedly, "I'm four now!" Yes, little man, you are! No longer a baby, no longer a toddler but officially a 4-year-old preschooler. Sometimes I see you and you look and act so mature that I do a double-take because I can't believe how much you have grown already. I love how perceptive and inquisitive you are now; you notice so much in the world around you and ask so many questions about why things are the way they are (ahh, yes, the "why" stage-- it is equal parts awesome and annoying for me). When you ask me why and I'm so tired that I just answer, "Because," you don't let me get away with that but keep questioning me until I give you the real answer (again, both awesome and annoying). I hope you will always be this curious.

I also hope that you will continue to be the amazing person you are right now. You are enthusiastic, energetic and fun-loving. You are affectionate, thoughtful and polite. You are talkative and articulate. You are a sweet and protective big brother. You love reading, playing board games and working on puzzles. You seriously love all things chocolate ("What do you want on your pizza, Connor?" "Chocolate!" "What kind of bagel do you want, Connor?" "Chocolate!" "Do you want a cheese sandwich?" "Do they have chocolate?"). And you make me laugh every day (like with how you say everything that happened in the past happened "yesterday" and things that happened a long time ago happened "all the way, all the way yesterday.")

Happy birthday, sweetheart! I love you so much and am so proud of you.

Love,
Mom