This Kid is Four

Jack just turned four.

FOUR!

That seems so...old.  So grown up, so...big.

And yet, so little.

We have been counting down the days until Jack turned four.  Out loud, we counted down every day for the two weeks leading up to The Big Day.  

"Am I four yet?" he would ask every morning.

"No," we'd tell him.  "Not yet!"

"How many more sleeps until I'm four?" he'd ask.

And we'd talk about how many nights remained until his birthday.

He was very, very excited about this birthday.  For the first time, he's realizing that getting older means things are changing.  He understands that he's getting bigger and stronger, capable of doing more things, one day closer to the elusive "grown up" status we pine for as children.

I tried not to count down the days until he turned four.  I've watched him grow, noticing one morning that the shorts that used to touch his calves were suddenly above his knees.  They just grow up so darn fast. I shouldn't wish these days away, not one of them.

But if I'm being honest...three was tough.  It was really, really tough.

Oh, it had it's awesomeness, to be sure!  But...it also had its share of power struggles and tantrums and general three-ness (which, for the record, is waaaaay harder than two).

For some reason, I had it in my head that four would change everything.  That magically, he'd wake up as a four-year-old and have superior reasoning skills and a penchant for delayed gratification.

Of course, that didn't happen.  Not like that, anyway.  But, it is happening.  Slowly, but surely.

The other day I had to tell him to stop kicking my seat for the eight-millionth time this week.  I threatened him.  "Jack!  If you don't stop kicking this seat we are not going to the park."  He sighed and said, "Okay...I understand," and stopped kicking my seat.  This was a pleasant surprise for me - I'd kind of been expecting a battle.

More and more, he's telling me please and thank-you all on his own.  He asks to go to school all.the.time (a real change from when he started school and would beg to stay home).  He likes to ride his bike and play with his friends, and for the most part, he no longer growls at complete strangers.

He's growing up.

I feel so, so lucky to have this child in my life.

A couple of days ago, he said, "How many sleeps until I'm five?"

"Ummmm...about 360," I said.

"360!  Is that a lot, or a little?"

"It's a lot," I told him.  But I was lying.  This next year is going to fly by.

I just wish I could slow it down.

Happy Birthday to Jack.