L.J. Lately

We’re only a few months in, but we’re enjoying four so far! L.J. is going through a growth spurt on all fronts – his pants are shorter, his shirts are appearing shrunken and his behavior is improving.

He’s still got a lot swirling in that big, smart brain of his and that still leads to tantrums, frustration and defiant outbursts. But he’s growing cognitively and emotionally and we’re starting to see behavior improvements as a result. I think this is a milestone all children go through and we’re relieved we didn’t have to go too far into four before starting to see positive changes.

Some things haven’t changed at all, like his advanced verbal communication (still surprises people!), his willingness to be our “helper guy” for almost anything, and his deep love for all things firefighter related.

He truly loves his baby sister and is trying his best to wait patiently for her to be big enough to really play with him. Hannah, for her part, thinks L.J. is the coolest kid ever, follows him everywhere and even tolerates his penchant for sticking all manner of hats on her head.

Lest you think “parenting in real life” does not exist at our house, the above idyllic scenario is appropriately tempered with the two of them bickering over a favorite toy (usually the marching band ride-on toy) or honing in on whatever the other is playing with and deciding that is their most favorite toy ever in the whole world and must be played with right this very minute or I will simply die.

I digress.

L.J.’s memory is the other thing that continually astonishes us, as he can recall in great detail things that happened months or even a year ago. He hears, comprehends and retains everything and referring to him as Captain Literal is both affectionate and true.

He’s doing very well in school! This is my favorite thing to report because, as you might recall, at this time last year this was definitely not the case. Constant contact with the school and being a tireless advocate for our son worked for everyone involved – he is in a great class now and we have developed a strong, respectful relationship with the administration.

L.J. enjoys watching his favorite shows on the iPad or TV, but has little interest in movies and still prefers play over screen time. I’m a huge fan of this except when I need a few minutes to get things done around the house! His favorite shows right now are Handy Manny, Team Umi Zoomi, and Mickey and the Roadster Racers. He’s also showing an increasing interest in two “bigger kid” preschool shows, Miles from Tomorrowland and Rusty Rivets.

Rusty Rivets – great little show. Thank goodness he could show me where it was on the app, because I had no clue what he was talking about and my frantic Googling of “Dusty Ribbons” was getting me nowhere…

We can’t forget about Paw Patrol, which falls into both the “Favorite Show” and “Favorite Toy” categories. We’re all about Paw Patrol these days!

Other toys seeing a lot of action these days are his doctor’s kit and kitchen, and he continues to enjoy playing with cars. He prefers his large cars and trucks because they can be accessorized with any manner of Little People and other odds and ends.

I love seeing his imagination blossom! When he’s playing on his own he will act out all sorts of scenarios with his cars and his Paw Patrol and Peppa Pig playsets.

Outside is his favorite place to be, Poppa is his hero, he can get dressed all by himself (though his underpants are probably on backwards…), and bedtime is not complete without a mountain of books in bed and the hall light on to read them by.

He is a wonderful, happy little boy who is growing by the day. He keeps us on our toes, tests our fortitude as parents and daily reminds us that love conquers all.

We love you so very much, L.J.!