Because I'm 4 Now

Sam turned 4 and every time asked him "How he got so big or how he can do that" the response is "Because I'm 4 now!"  This boys personality has run wild this past year.  He has a dramatic side that keeps us laughing.  Picking up a good one liner is his thing.  Often he'll throw it into a conversation in the right place, but sometimes not.  He thinks he is hilarious and I hope he never loses that sense of humor.  Most days you will find him in the role of a cowboy, police officer, pirate, or, most often, a fireman, in our house.  It's not unusual to get the response "Well, I actually have a call (emergency) I have to go to" when asked to do something.  Never under estimate the power of a positive role model.  In these instances, the fireman's mama is quick to explain that fireman have to work together and that the real fireman at the fire station also have to do chores every day.

This kids legs just keep getting longer and his memory expands by the minute.  I try to take mental snapshots to remember him at this age.  This is a time where he has an incredible vocabulary, great sense of wonder, but is blessed with an innocence I hope he doesn't start to lose for a long, long time.  He's sweet and tender, with a little spice added in once in a while.  He is already talking about what he's going to do when he turns 5...I just tell him I don't want to talk about that because I'm not ready for the reality of him being a whole hand worth of years yet.

His school pictures for preschool this year.  I chose to take them myself and I got a few goofy ones because, well, that's Sam.

The following pictures were taken by a mom of one of Sam's classmates, she definitely captured his personality and great facial expressions.

And here's our big 4 year old celebrating his special day.  While we were back in Iowa over Christmas Sam celebrated his birthday with two parties, one on each side of the family.  He wanted an "Orange Party", so everyone wore orange and we ate lots of orange food.  And, of course, the fireman made an appearance, too.

His 4 year old photo shots

Dancing in the sunshine

Brothers watching their daddy ride the bucks out of a horse.