four

It's hard to believe, but it's been four years since I became Daddy. The time seems like it's flown by. At the same time it seems like I can't even remember what it was like not having Riley-Boy around. It's been such a wonderful gift to have Riley in our family.

Three was a year of big changes. Riley started school, which led to potty training and much improved talking skills. Here are some of the highlights and where Riley is right now.

School














Riley started preschool the day after his third birthday. What's more, he went by bus! Shelby and I were kind of freaked out, but Riley was very excited. He has always loved school buses.

In the public preschool Riley continued the speech therapy that he had been getting through Early Intervention. Within a month he had started his "speech explosion." Riley can now talk a blue streak and the sound couldn't be sweeter in our ears. For all the parents who think that it would be great if their kids would be quiet all the time, trust me...it wouldn't be. We love our talking boy. Even if it takes him forever to eat dinner because he can't stop talking.

There are still things that need to be worked on, things like learning letter blends, getting used to starting words with the correct consonant and correct grammar. Minor stuff compared to silence. The biggest concern right now is social development where he is a bit behind. He doesn't always know what to say in social situations and sometimes will just ask questions he already knows the answer to just so that he will have something to say. We're working on social skills a lot at home and we hope he'll learn to use what we teach him outside the home, and particularly at school.

Another thing that came out of school was potty training. Riley wasn't really all that interested in it until he started school and saw all the other kids using the potty. It was a done deal shortly after. Sometimes peer pressure is a good thing. The most recent development here is that he is now diaper free at night as well. Shelby has been getting him up a couple of times in the night to use the potty, which has helped him to stay dry at night. It's great to have one kid entirely out of diapers.

With our move to Colorado Springs Riley found himself in new schools (he's always been in an afternoon preschool as well) and he has continued to work on language. He's progressed enough that he doesn't have to be part of the public preschool during the summer, as they don't think he'll regress without the continued work. Good news. He started a new preschool this week at a Lutheran school and really likes it, which is a relief because he didn't like the KinderCare school he had been going to. Neither did we as they were very disorganized. It seems like the new school will be a good place for him.

Brotherhood














One of the biggest changes of the past year has been that Riley has been learning what it means to be a big brother. Part of that transition has meant losing a lot of attention that he had been getting before. As you can imagine it hasn't been easy for him, although overall I think he's handled it pretty well. He does seem to love Kendall, but I can already hear, "Stop looking at me! Dad, she's touching me! Stay on YOUR side of the car!" etc. (all things I remember well from childhood...) Some things won't be avoided I guess. We're also starting what will likely be long term lessons in sharing, which are not currently appreciated. These things take time. He does, however, love sharing when it means sharing something of someone else's. He enjoys asking me to share my food with him if it's something he likes.

Homebody

Our boy love his home (especially when Mommy is there...) Given a choice he would never leave. As a matter of fact, lately we have to FORCE him to leave so that we can go out to do things that are fun. Not surprising since he's got a great variety of toys and lots of space to play with them. And even more now that he's gotten the doll house he wanted for his birthday. Sometimes I think he would never leave the house if we didn't make him.

One way that you can be sure to get him out of the house though...tell him you're taking him to Chick-Fil-A. He loves the playground, chicken nuggets and sweet tea. You'd think the kid was southern.

But he still loves the outdoors


















Once we get Riley out he still loves doing stuff outside. Since we've been here we've been to Garden of the Gods, the Manitou Incline (Mom and boy), biking on the Santa Fe trail (Dad and boy) and the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (Mom, boy and his class.) He still loves it once you get him out there, although he's not crazy about giraffes.















Helpful Boy














Riley LOVES to help us do things. Things around the house, stuff in the yard, laundry, opening the microwave and anything that I'm going to do in the garage. I'm hoping this is more than a stage...but it certainly is fun right now.

Play













Riley fits a stove, chair, humidifier, washer and air compressor into his house

Like any other four year old, our boy loves to play. He seems to be a budding architect or builder. Legos are back on the list of favorite toys and he loves to build floor plans and fill them with furniture. For his birthday he got a doll house (which he wanted more than a tool bench.) He loves to rearrange the furniture, or knock it all down and put it in the "moving truck" so that he can take it to the "Sultan's palace" (a Backyardagains video reference.) He moves the "Arabian things" into the Sultan's palace and sets them up. Definitely not the way a girl would play with a doll house.















Riley still loves playgrounds of any sort, enjoys riding on my back like I'm a horse while looking for monsters for us to kill, he loves games, especially matching games, and also loves board games. A big hit for his birthday has been the Busytown game, which is actually fun for his parents to play with him. Sports are not really on the map yet, even biking which he really enjoys more from the trailer...

Birthday














So this past weekend we had his fourth birthday party. It was a Curious George theme with bananas holding down the balloons and even a place the butterfly in the Curious George picture game (like pin the tail on the donkey...)



















It was a small party since most everyone was at a graduation party or away, and of course the majority of our friends are 2000 miles away. A good time was had by all though, and the hardest part of the whole thing was keeping our birthday boy in the party. He kept wanting to sneak off to play with his doll house.

Happy Birthday Video

So our boy is four. I'm sure that there will be at least as many changes this year as last. Although there is a certain amount of an ache in my heart at the thought of him growing up, I do enjoy seeing the boy Riley is becoming.

Shelby and I love Riley to distraction and we are so very grateful that the Lord has allowed us to be his parents. He was worth waiting all those years for. Happy four Riley Boy!

Jonathan