Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Dear Noah 4years 1mos

Dear Noah,
We have crammed so much in to this month! Looking back through pictures from this month I was crushed to see that I didn't have any pictures of you... then realized the month where you had scarlet fever... yeah, that happened in this month! Just seems so long ago since we've done so much since then.

 


You were super sleepy on a Tuesday around 4pm and were feeling warm. Sometimes this happens and we insist you stay awake because a 4-6pm nap (actually a nap at any time!) results in a wide awake Noah until 10-11pm. I mentioned to Daddy that you were warm, he said you often are when you're tired. You were having such a hard time keeping your eyes open so we finally put you in bed around 6pm. From 11pm on you were up hourly. Sometimes you had a reason (I need a blanket, I'm thirsty, I need a snuggle) but often you didn't. The next day you were lethargic and hot. When I came home from work Daddy said maybe chicken pox because a rash had broken out all over your trunk and was spreading. But no, not like chicken pox. A quick trip to the doctor the next morning and a diagnosis of scarlet fever and you were more chipper. The doctor told us that scarlet fever is just a strain of strep and that your throat was hurting a lot more than you were letting on.

 


With partially emptied amoxacylin bottle in hand and a much happier preschooler we were off to Vermont a week later. We spent most days outside visiting the barn, planting the gardens, using the (freezing!) pool.
For a year now you've been asking for a camel cake. Why? We don't know. But Grammy was determined. So we had our last 4 year birthday celebration at Grammy and Grampy's, camel cake and all. You were very excited and said: "I really wanted to be 5!" Oh no! After a quick explanation you were okay with still being 4.

 


You and your sister are so funny together. You're both always concerned about where the other one is and she's quick to share a toy with you when you really want it. You have taken to saying that you "want a really long turn". Del has also developed a very distinct cry that usually has some wailing qualities to it. Inevitably you are kicking her while she's down, repeatadly... or not letting her get past you... and similar big brother tactics. When I react strongly (it really really makes me feeling angry!) you will say: "I'm sorry, I won't ever do that again". Then we check if Del's okay and sometimes she lets you kiss her ouch and sometimes she refuses to have anything to do with you. I'm okay with the "I'm sorry" ... I'm just curious where the "I won't ever do that again" comes from.

You've started sharing what you want to be when you grow up. I've very consciously never asked you about this because I want you to enjoy the now and not be pushed in to choosing your adult aspirations quite yet. You recently said you plan to be a knight, a lion, a tiger, and a train conductor when you grow up. It was cool to hear what your plans are. I was curious how the concept of a future adult role would come from. Then I heard at school that it was a student lead discussion. The knight thing makes sense. You're getting in a lot of practice. You are always on the look-out for an improvised sword and often request a cape (presumably that goes over your armor). On the other hand when we recently told you that your uncle is going off to be a soldier you said: "Oh! But that's bad!!" And it was hard to think of a way to explain how being a soldier is not always a violent thing.

 


We had so much fun in Vermont but it just reminded us (again) that we have to get you out in the country more. The grass was "scary" (too long), the bugs were biting, the poop was on your barn boots...

There's more! Much more from this month (your new bike, for example!) but scarlet fever took up so much space and letters should only be so long.

Love you forever,
Momma

ps you helped me look through magazines for ideas for the house we plan to build. You wanted to pull out a picture of every dog. Yay, yay! That's what I say. Well, really I say: "probably when you're 6 we can get a dog" - that's the responsible mommy thing to say despite my temptation to go NOW and get us a dog!

1 comment:

Ms. Jackson said...

your blogs entries make me cry a little...especially this one. This is such a great thing you do and I really appreciate them