Benjamin at 48 Months

This kid has been anything but easy since he was about 13 months old when he stopped eating food. And so here we are at 48 months and still wondering how he eats enough to sustain life.

The insanity tantrums that were hours upon hours each day have sort of become a thing of the past, in part due to his nonstop talking. Not only can he communicate well, but he has the best vocabulary and is so expressive. If this kid isn't in theater, I'm going to be super surprised. 

His very favorite movies are Mary Poppins and Cinderella but he's kind of all talk (literally, all day long) because he very rarely actually watches either movie, especially in entirety. He prefers just watching Step in Time and talking at length about the mean stepsisters and how they "tored Cinderella's dress and that's STOP behavior." (His preschool follows a social emotional curriculum that refers to behaviors as Stop or Go. He's very quick to point out when others are having Stop behavior, natch.) 

He's still very involved in the swimming pool and we're all about keeping it that way. We visit the YMCA pool probably 2-3 times each week just to get our hour of swim followed by a 15 minute warm shower. They're so spoiled. Don't tell the drought ridden Californians. 

Preschool is actually one of his favorite places to be, when last year it was a fight to get him there. He's obviously quite engaged, despite his complete and utter disinterest to write letters on paper. 

He's definitely does his own thing, but I wouldn't necessarily consider him a leader. He has no interest in following other kids in play, but is still very quick to interrupt and steal toys out of jealousy. He always has his eye on what others are doing (so you know, he can take what he thinks belongs to him). He's a legit negotiator that keeps me on my toes with sharpening my own negotiating skills.

He loves his sister something fierce and really does engage and play with her at home. He's bold and daring and really funny.

Favorites List (at 4 Years):

Food: Peanut Butter

Treat: Chocolate, Candy

Breakfast: Cinnamon rolls or Waffles (staple)

Lunch/Dinner: Peanut Butter and some carb

Songs: Step in Time, Let it Go, Frere Jacques

Colors: Pink, Red (or whatever you have that he wants also becomes "but that's my favorite color!")

Clothes: Mickey Mouse Superhero Cape Shirt (I bought size 5 for backup because, obsessed), Crocs, Specific Pair of Mickey Pajamas (despite having 3 kinds, only likes 1)

Game: Hi Ho Cherry-O Disney Edition, Hide-and-Seek (if only he'd hide somewhere different each time!)
Activities: Science experiments, cooking with Mom in the kitchen, playing superheroes with Dad complete with capes, swimming, playing with the iPad, reading books with us, building forts

Obsessions: Castles, Princesses, Superheroes, Magic, The "Horn" (Matterhorn at Disneyland that he's 2 inches too short to ride), Airplanes

Books: Disney Anthologies, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Super Mousekefriends, Cinderella, Little Red Hen (love that Classic!), The Day the Crayons Quit (finds peach crayon hilarious)

Movies: Mary Poppins, Cinderella, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Minnie-rella, Dr. Seuss, Peep and The Big Wide World (big laughs)
TV Shows: Super Why, The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That
Toys: Building Towers, Random kitchen utensil, special rock, Melissa & Doug Pattern Blocks

Restaurant: Chipotle (by name), Noodles & Co.
Dessert Place: Forever Yogurt, Dunkin' Donuts
Words/Sayings: "Well...", "Eventually...", "I'm big enough because I'm four.", "I'll be two inches and then I'll go on the Horn", "Well then I'll get it myself", "I need to talk!"

He's definitely his own person and always has been. He doesn't fit the typical niche of young kids, so it makes me wonder what life will be like as he grows older. As a mom, I'm actually surprised how much time I spend worrying about his future. Will kids give him a chance? Will he make friends well? Will he fit in or struggle with finding his place? Will he find a career that suits him and makes him happy? Will he meet someone who loves him unconditionally forever? While I struggle to embrace his interests sometimes, I love him big and know these fears are really because this rainbow baby saved our lives in the time we needed him most, and I just want him to have a world that loves and accepts him. 

*He's literally wearing the Mickey Superhero shirt and Mickey PJ's in every picture. 

(I'm planning to get one of these up for Claire, but I'm already a month late and figured it made sense to just post his since his birthday just passed last week.)