You're Four

My Dearest Joshua,

I hope that when you get to be a young man you look back and know that I have loved you so very much. From the minute I found out I was pregnant with you my world was full of so much joy. You have so much life and energy in you. I love listening to all of your stories, whether they be tall tales or not. Your imagination keeps me seeing the world through your young eyes and makes me remember what it was like to be small again. The love that you show others is beyond your four years old, but I am so glad you have such a big heart. You are a smart little boy and when you set your heart on achieving something you will keep trying until you accomplish it.

My dream for you is that you will be a fine young man as you continue to grow.

I love you always,
Mommy

Bike Riding

Now that we live on the farm and don't have easy access to paved roads, sidewalks, or a concrete driveway like most people that live in a subdivision...it has taken Joshua quite a while to master the bike riding thing. My older sister, Auntie Sissy, sent him a tricycle when he was two. Let's just say it sat for a very, very long time without being touched because he couldn't muster up enough strength to push it through the grass and dirt on our property. Last month  we built a 12' x 12' porch. I brought the tricycle up onto the porch for him to try there. He started mastering the peddling quite quickly. I loaded the tricycle up into the back of my car and took him to the Play for All Abilities park in Round Rock, which has a little village for the kids to play in that looks just like a little town, complete with street signs, lights, a hospital, fire station, grocery store, school, library, car dealership, gas station, and little home. He really got going on the little streets there. Nana saw the video and before we knew it we had a brand new big boy bike show up. It took him another week to master the peddling of that since he couldn't peddle backwards. Now he is a pro...he still struggles when we go down our street since it is a dirt road with a lot of rocks, pot holes, and dirt that get in the way of those little tires spinning. We load up the bike and take it to the park as much as possible and he zooms around like a pro. Just yesterday he had the bike going around and around in circles on the porch. He is getting so big and at this rate he'll have the training wheels off in no time at all.

Here is Joshua riding around on his tricycle

And then a week later here he is on his big boy bicycle.

For Papa

Recently, Papa was in the hospital, so Joshua and I sat down and put a poem by Patsy Gaut down the center then we painted his feet and stamped them next to the poem. It fit so well, because it's talking about walking with Grandpa.

Stuffed Toy Storage

I can't keep the toys in a toy box because Joshua tends to forget what toys he has to play with so I decided to get some hanging flower baskets to hand on the wall. I am thinking of getting a second one to hang below this one to hold Matthew's stuffed toys. I love the way it gives the area a very open feel. Since by next year this room will be just the play room I liked the storage idea of it.

 After getting the basket up

All the toys easily reachable

With the toys