Dear Tyler, You're 4!

Hi baby boy, you are 4 years old!

Your birthday was on a Wednesday, your 3rd day of VPK (preschool.)

 You woke up and opened presents. You liked your Jake party hats more than your birthday crown. The Jake hats were left over from the year before. Daddy got you a tool belt, a sports Dora book with figurines,

 You wanted toaster waffles and berries for breakfast. Daddy got all of that too.

 You were happy I let you wear both birthday crowns.

 After dropping the boys off at school, we were early for your school.

 aw, the birthday banner was up for you!

 Waiting for 9am...

 You're so cute!

 Julia touched a cicada bug and it wasn't dead, it buzzed so loudly and flew away! Where did it go?

 I went in to your class for a special snack, animal crackers and blueberry mini muffins and apple juice.

 When kids are done eating, they get to go read a book on their "sitter squares" (which are rectangles.) Then You got to be the special helper of the day and got to gather all of the books!

 You wanted to gather ALL of them by yourself and were quite proud that you were able to too.

 After snack time, it's playground time. You got to be the line leader as well!

 What a cute class you have.

 You're learning to pump your legs. You sorta have it but aren't in the groove and were happy to have me there to push you.

 Oh my goodness you're so cute.

 You were not being reprimanded here, the other kid was maybe walking too slowly or too quickly or something. No big deal. It was only the 3rd day of school. You guys were doing so well with all of the rules!

 Then it was time to go. You were sick of stopping for pictures by this point. On to the rest of the birthday fun!!

 Grandpa came over for lunch. You wanted key lime yogurt, apples, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I made turkey sandwiches for the adults.

 Grandpa brought you a really cool airplane AND licorice. (Good and plenty candies that you and he like just like Great Grandma Rebeck liked.)

 Baby Hollie Gille, your cousin, was born on your birthday! Her mom, Hollie, had made you this shirt which you opened. She was nesting and it had been waiting for you. How thoughtful! We still need to get them a baby gift...

 We had a pool party with Grandpa, Ivy, Justin, and Eirit. They brought you a Thomas train book with sound and tools.

 Corrie came to pick up Ivy and gave you more presents! Jake socks, and a whole construction outfit.

 The tickle monster gotcha!

 For dinner, we tried out a Chinese buffet. It was good (and inexpensive.)

 For dessert, we went to the Candy Kitchen. Good choice (Dylan and Isaac.)

 You got a toilet candy where you dip a sucker in the toilet powder.

 We got floats.

 You got to pick out a cake and this was your choice.

 You're the sweetest little boy.

 We waited until after Grandma was done teaching institute for cake time. We love having them so close.

 The next day, after I picked you up from Corrie's and when we were picking up Julia, Doe and Michael gave you gifts too! They got you some empty paper towel rolls, 2 beachy outfits and the perfect Jake puzzle that you play with multiple times a day.

The other night, the other Fegers came over with tons of gifts, a golf set, a bouncy ball maker set, and a big ball too. But more fun than that, they came to play! Tyler later asked, "so now we can't even SEE Everett? When will we be better enough so we can see and touch him?" Tyler loves his baby cousin and was a little confused that Everett was just sleeping and that's why he didn't come play :) 

Tyler, you're so loved! We love your tan skin, beachy blonde messy curls, happy face, wiggly dancing walk, free spirit, helpful ways.

You're stubborn. You say "No, I'm not going to." And you really don't. We sort of don't know how to take this, so you cry in time out and in your bed early some nights.

You're daring. You grabbed the big skateboard and pushed yourself on it and it was pretty cool. I told you to stand the next time. So you started pushing yourself on it on all fours then stood up, surf style, popped right up the first time!

You're inventive. If you want something, you just do it yourself. The other evening, you grabbed the 2 steps step stool and opened it up by the side of the pool and jumped off of it. You started a trend that evening.

You're loving. The other Saturday I overheard from my bed you say, "Guess what, Julia, I get to stay home with you today! And we can play puzzles." You kept talking to her as you put your Jake puzzle together then let her wreck it once you were done. You know that's the part she's good at, so you put it together for her to be able to do her favorite part.

You like to snuggle.

You request a "story, song, and secret" each night when you're in bed. Daddy obliges and reads a story from one of the big books from the Szasz family, sings the Itsy Bitsy Spider, How Much Is That Doggy In The Window, and other favorites, and usually the secret is something that you'll be doing the next day. It has to be whispered, because it's a secret. You go to sleep in your bed now, this is new. I don't remember the reason it started. Oh yea, I was sick, so we didn't want you getting sick. Then you just started staying in there. You wake up to go potty which is awesome. You like to sleep with sippy cups and they're usually empty in the morning.

You like school. You cried the first morning, but warmed up to your situation and absolutely love it now, as you can see from your birthday pictures.

We haven't started you in sports yet, but you haven't really asked, so we're saving our money for now. You're sporty though, so you'll be a star soon enough.