Happy Birthday Toser!!

Today, my baby is 4. Please, God, let 4 be easier than 3.

Toser is SOOOOO EXCITED today is an extension of the whirlwind that has been at our house this last week. He's crazy with giddiness over the TOYS! and the SUGAR! and the birthday crown Mrs. Miller made for him at school! He was overjoyed to be taking miniature Krispy Kreme chocolate-glazed-sprinkle doughnuts to school today and when he got in the van at pick-up he told me, "Mommy, everyone really enjoyed the doughnuts." Um, I thought he was turning 4, not 12. What 4 year-old talks like that? Oh, yeah, that would be the kid who didn't want to blow out the candles on his cake but use a candle snuffer instead.

He loves to read books. He takes after me in that regard and has most of his books memorized. We're not talking just a few books. We have very many books because when one of your mom's best friends works for Scholastic, you get lots and lots of books just because. It's a perfect setup. And woe be unto the person who skips a page, condenses a story or says a word wrong. He knows.

He has the biggest heart and big hearts break often and messily. He will do absolutely ANYTHING for his brother. Toser loves Tater so much and if Tater is in any way upset, Toser will do what he can to calm him down. Tater's getting to where he can be a bit of a little brother pest but Toser usually takes it in stride. Tater will hit Toser for no reason other than for attention and Toser will get a confused look on his face before he screams about it. He just doesn't understand how Tater can do that. I tell him he needs to figure out a way to handle it but it's just not in his nature to hit Tater back.

He's my best bud. Often times it's just the 2 of us running errands after school or working on dinner before Mr. A gets home and I love this time with him. Although he drives me insane with the 20,000 questions, I love how he's so interested in how things work and what the purpose of everything is. He's a smart little boy and pretty quick on the uptake. There is little you can get away with in front of him. He can smell out a cookie at 20 feet and loves, loves, loves sweets so there is no hiding any kind of goody in our house.

In addition to looking just like me, he's got my temperament. The things that drive me the craziest about him are mostly things that I don't like in myself. He's super sensitive and can lose his mind over the simplest things. But he also has some of my good qualities and he gets so happy over the smallest things, like staying in his PJ's all day and snuggling under the covers. I hope I can channel his sensitivity into a good thing and keep him happy with the small things. He's such a good kid despite the typical temper tantrums and craziness.

I love you, Bud. You are the best big brother in the world and you deserve all the good that comes your way. You are such a blessing to me and I'm so very glad you're mine.