Our FOUR year old!

Weston turned FOUR earlier this month and he's getting so big!  It's been a big year for him becoming a big brother, starting pre-school, and graduating to a "two-wheel" scooter (as he calls it).  He was so excited to turn 4, so on his birthday I asked him, "How does it feel to be four?"  He responded with a little disappointment in his voice, "A little different, actually, I kind of feel the same."  I think he expected to wake up a foot taller and a whole new older boy.  If you asked him to separate our family into two groups it would be mom, dad, and Weston as "grown-ups" and Livi as the "baby."

At four years old, Weston loves riding his scooter more than just about anything else.  He would do it all day if I let him and he especially loves an audience.  We usually walk/scooter to pre-school and he is pretty disappointed if I show up in the car to pick him up.  On more than one occasion, I've had to drive slowly next to him while he rides his scooter on the sidewalk.  (It's a good thing we're just around the corner)

Pre-school has been great for Weston.  He has loved it from day one and would like to go a lot more often than two mornings a week. 

Weston has been a champ of a big brother.  He has been as sweet as can be to Livi since she was born.  He absolutely loves her and often tells us that he is Livi's favorite person and the she is his.  And he's right.  He hasn't had any jealously issues with her, and he can make her laugh better than anyone.  His only side affect of becoming a big brother was becoming clingy.  After Livi was born everything scared him:  going to bed at night, getting his hair cut, going to primary or a friends house, and especially having a babysitter.  We tried to reassure him that we loved him, but it's just taken time.  While I was pregnant with Livi he asked me once, "Will you still have me, when you have the new baby?"  It broke my heart, and I think it took him a while to believe me that we would.  He is now back to getting his hair cut, going to bed great, and LOVES primary.  He still prefers friends come to our house, but he will go to a friends house, and we're working on the whole babysitter thing, but he's doing a MILLION times better than a couple months ago and we are so grateful!  I actually love that Weston wants to be at our house all the time, but it's just sad to see the stress that everything was causing him.  And, it is nice to be able to go to the doctor without an audience:)

Weston says the funniest things. 

• Lately, his new word seems to be "actually."  He uses it correctly, but it's just so funny to hear him say it.  
• He still says gigantic "ginactic" and we love it.  
• He's convinced gooder is a word.  We keep trying to correct him, but he's determined.  
• Fairly often he'll say, "Sometimes you've just gotta use what you have."  I have no idea where he learned this, but I want to kiss the person who taught it to him.  He often says it when dressing up.  His pirate hat is also his puss in boots hat, 3 Musketeer, and Captain Hook.  His knight helmet is also a Shredder (Ninja turtles) mask.  His capes and belts work for MANY different costumes!  
• He is all boy and loves anything to do with potty talk or burping to our chagrin. 

He got his first punch in the face at our church Christmas party.  He asked Eric if he could go play with some other little boys and the next thing Eric knew he was on the floor, curled up in a ball, losing it.  Eric ran up to get him and couldn't get anything out of him except that he was punched in the face.  Soon one of the other boys came up and said, "I did that."  and then explained that they were hitting the other boys (teenagers- one of the little boys uncles) and Weston tried to stop them so they punched him in the face.  I think he was more shocked than hurt that someone would actually do that.  He's such a sweetheart.  The next day at church apologies were exchanged and all is good.

Weston's also starting to learn about money.  A few days before Christmas we were at Deseret Book and he saw a toy Liahona.  It was $19 and Eric was explaining to him that Christmas was a few days away and we couldn't buy any toys.  I walked up and interjected, "Maybe you can save your money and we can come back and get it."  He must have known he already had enough money because he was fine with that and we left.  He's been putting money in his piggybank since he was about 1.  Sometimes he earns it for helping out and sometimes he just finds it, but he had quite a bit in there.  He got a change counter for Christmas so we decided to empty his bank into it and found out he had $43.  We tried to explain tithing to him and he separated out 10% to take to church on Sunday and then we headed to the bank to change our change into dollars.  (It was interesting trying to explain to the kind banker what a Liahona was.  Pretty sure he thinks were crazy, but I'm really proud that Weston knows what the Liahona is and thinks it's cool enough to spend his money on it.  I actually think the toy was a bit overpriced and kept trying to explain to him that it was just a toy and not the real one, and "are you sure that what you want?" but he was SURE and is now the proud new owner of a Liahona.

We had a Super Hero party so we let him open a couple presents the morning of the party that he might need:

This was his favorite.  He had been wanting a Captain America shield like his friend Gavin for MONTHS.

Spiderman! 

Taunting the Villains

The Villains had dropped bombs on the city and our super heroes were trying to put them all out.

Capturing the Villains!

Tying up the Villans (Eric and Uncle James made awesome Villans)

Weston looks pretty shocked that his Villain tried to escape

Chasing the cake stealing Villain

Weston kept progressively got more and more help opening presents

Singing to the birthday boy!

This little girl was SUPER happy Taylor and James came to the party.  I don't how many hours she went without eating, but she was a trooper and happily hung out with her aunt and uncle!

The after party!

The ACTUAL birthday:

Trying to snap a 4 year old picture on our way out to school

I offered to take him anywhere for lunch and he chose peanut butter sandwiches at the park

Killer Moves...You may have to look closely, but yes people he is off the ground:)

For his birthday night, we met Grandma and Grandpa, Taylor and James, and Nic at Chuck E. Cheese!

West and Grandpa

Mom with the Birthday Boy!

Listening Close to Chuckie

Diving for tickets

West went to a friends birthday a couple weeks before his at build a bear and made "Sam."  When the party was over we learned that Sam was afraid to go to friends houses by himself too.  Weston decided he could take him and show him that it was okay.  This was the beginning of a very big change!!  So Weston got a hat to match Sam's for his birthday:)

We Love this little boy and are so grateful we got to spend the last four years with him!  Happy Birthday Weston!