I'm Waiting...

Tomorrow, Henry turns four years old. I've been holding on to that milestone because the last time I had a four-year-old, it was pure magic, the way he turned from a three-year-old who might not make it to his fourth birthday to a little guy who turned me to absolute mush. That's what I'm hoping for, because this year has been r.o.u.g.h with Henry. I think it's the combination of being smack dab in the middle of two brothers and also just being three. Don't ever let anyone tell you about terrible twos. I'll take the twos over the threes any time. Just so you know.

And on the other hand, I can't believe he's four. My little rosey-cheeked with sweaty curls Henry is four years old. My little fat snuggler has turned little boy. His imagination is still going full throttle and he still makes a great Duckie voice and sleeps with Fringies. But he concentrates really hard so as not to say "f" instead of "th" anymore, and he likes to be allowed to play in the front yard / neighborhood like a big boy. ("I won't wun away, Mom. I pwomise!") I know it won't be long before sitting as close to me on the couch as he possibly can will not be his main goal in life anymore.

Sigh.

In the meantime, he has been wanting a house for the "loving family" he got for Christmas. It costs $59, the deliuxe version being about twice that the last time I checked. I can't really justify that, since it is aggressively pink and is not really made for rough and tumble boys who may or may not play with it appropriately. Plus, it takes up space and has lots of parts. I hate parts.

So, I made a substitute for his birthday out of foam board, scrapbook paper, and masking tape. Don't look too closely at the craftsmanship, but I think it's going to be a hit. It's a four-room place - I decorated two of the rooms and left two for Henry to fix up the way he wants. (It also stores flat when not in use.)



I can't wait to see what he thinks and to watch how he plays with it. It's pretty funny to hear how his family talks to one another and what they do in a day. Sometimes superhero action figures and dinosaurs join them. I think this could be really fun.

And except for my little boys growing up and a couple little surprises to look forward to, everything else seems to be at a standstill...Our move around the world date remains indefinite due to things out of our control, so it's hard to make plans (I dearly love to make plans)...So I'm waiting.

As summer rolls on...