Travis’s fourth birthday promised to be a busy day, and it didn’t disappoint! Mark and I woke up around 7:45. I was amazed we hadn’t been ambushed yet. The kids stormed in a bit before 8. It turns out they’d been up for a while, with Hallie reading to Travis and making him a birthday sign. It was a very sweet start to the day in which Travis spent lots of time hopping around in excitement. Read the rest of this entry »
Our guy turns 4 tomorrow! We’re having his party at home. The backyard games seem likely to get rained out. So, it’s looking like a crazy, overcrowded indoor play date for 13 kids and assorted parents followed by pizza and cake. Travis couldn’t possibly be looking forward to his birthday any more. I’m wondering how early he’ll appear tomorrow morning . . .
Here’s his birthday letter for this year.
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I’ve never seen someone as excited about a birthday as Travis is. He got cheated out of his last party by a stomach bug, so I guess he’s allowed to be a bit charged up. He’s been telling strangers wherever we go that Saturday is his birthday.
Last night Hallie and I went out for her to pick out his present. He knew where we’d been and was all over her when we got back. He was begging for her to tell him what we’d found but she held firm. Finally, he pleaded, “Hallie, if you’ll just tell me, I promise I won’t tell any of my other friends.” He seemed to miss the point that he was only one we were keeping secrets from. Fortunately, Hallie didn’t fall for his pleas!
The kids have picked up on all the recent political discussion. They point out all the Obama signs and are delighted when they see other Obama supporters. Travis, especially, loves saying “Barack Obama.” He works him into all sorts of conversations.
On the way to Hallie’s soccer game the other night, Travis asked if Barack Obama was going to win. “I hope so,” I replied.
“Yeah, he’s going to win!” Travis declared confidently. Then he paused thoughtfully for a moment and added sagely, “Yep. Barack Obama’s going to win the soccer game.” Leave it to an almost-four-year-old to take national politics and compress it into his own frame of reference.
Travis has done it! He did his first independent bike riding today. And boy was he proud of himself (and I of him)! For weeks we’ve had the training wheels off his bike and I’ve been holding onto the “balance buddy.” He’s done most of his riding that way between here and Conn. We’re on or near streets that whole route, so I’ve never given him much freedom. I learned today that I’ve been helping him out more than I needed to. Read the rest of this entry »
After a recent video chat with the kids, Gum decided she couldn’t wait until next month to see Hallie and Travis. She was also eager to spend some time in each of the kids’ schools. So we made plans for her to come the beginning of this past week. I don’t think Gum knew what she was in for! Read the rest of this entry »
We’ve been talking for quite a while about expanding our family. Until now, it never seemed quite right. But Hallie and Travis are getting more and more independent. We’re settled into our house. And we’re in the rhythm of school and work. So we’ve decided to become a family of five. Read the rest of this entry »
Travis has developed a new response when he knows I’m upset with him about something. If I’ve been firm with him or I’ve made it clear I don’t like something he’s done, he seems to need to gauge my return to happiness. Read the rest of this entry »
All four of us were on the couch tonight watching a great “Reading Rainbow” episode on SCUBA diving. As the show wrapped up, Travis climbed in my lap. I was cradling him like a baby and exclaiming about how he was my teeny, tiny baby except he didn’t fit in my arms any more. Mark commented, “We’ll just have to send him back and trade him in on a little one.”
Hallie immediately chimed in, “I don’t want to trade him in for a different brother. I want to keep the brother I’ve got!” It must feel good to have a big sis sticking up for you!
Travis has been showing lots of interest in letters and sounds. He’ll announce a sound he hears in a word. Or he’ll ask me how something is spelled and do a good job picking out the sounds and letters himself. He still doesn’t know the sounds all of the letter makes. And I’ll admit I haven’t been drilling him on them. I like the way things are progressing, though. We talk all the time. I show him words. And when he expresses interest, I take it as far as he’ll stick with me. I’ve spent more than one traffic light cycle writing down the words he wants to know how to spell.
We’ve been spending lots of time outside lately. I’m guessing as the weather changes and the daylight hours shrink, we’ll naturally fall into more inside activities. He’s already making his own books (he’s lived with Hallie long enough — he just thinks that’s what you do). He just needs to learn a bit more to write the words to fill them up.
