Craig Year Four Retrospective

Craig is sweet. He loves to cuddle and gives the best hugs.

He loves quickly and completely, often talking about loving his friends from preschool, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents...

Despite never singing in primary, Craig loves music. He knows all the words to the primary songs, often correcting me or Calista if we get them wrong. And when he wants to, he will happily sing too.

Honestly, most things need to be on his terms. Craig is incredibly stubborn, and if he doesn't want to play your game, paint the picture, go to bed, poop and pee in the toilet, etc, then he won't. There is no amount of logic or persuasion that can change him mind until he wants to.

I struggle with him on a daily basis. Craig thinks he should get anything he wants, and if he doesn't then he gets rather upset.

Occasionally he punches, hits, or kicks. It can be frustrating to see him switch from affectionate to violent because he was told "No, not right now."

Although he has a bed of his own, he rarely sleeps in it. I know I've mentioned this before, but it hasn't changed. Craig prefers a nest of blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, and his sleeping bag.

Usually he sleeps on the floor, sometimes with Calista.

A couple of times he's fallen asleep on the stairs

or in the hallway.

And rarely he sleeps in his bed.

Craig has grown so much in the last year. Literally, so much taller! We went from barely 3T last fall to nearly too tall for his 4T pants now. That did mean he had a while that he was constantly hurting himself. Like, 3 bloody noses and 2 bruised eyes in the space of a month.

Poor kid.

He is a bit fearless. We started him in gymnastics and he loved it. His favorite apparatuses are high bar and balance beam, though he does enjoy a mean somersault too. Gymnastics also gives Craig a good, healthy outlet for his energy and excitement.

We also put him in soccer, which he liked best when he was watching everyone else play.

Oh well.

He and I have struggled with naps the last year, with him wanting one and me not wanting him to have one because then he stays up too late at night and is a bear to wake in the morning.

But very recently I've decided to just let Craig be. If he falls asleep I let him, come what may.

I think it makes us both happier not to be fighting about it.

Obviously, we moved. This meant leaving behind friends and activities, but Craig took it in stride.

And he loves being so close to the spray park - with its sandy playground - at our new house.

Craig is an excellent brother to Calista and Caleb.

He loves to play with them, and misses Calista when she is gone all day at school. The first couple of weeks she was in Grade 1, after lunch he would remind me it was time to get Calista, over and over. And when she gets home, he rushes to give her a hug. However, if you ask him if he misses her, he denies it. Silly boy.
As long as Caleb doesn't interfere too much with Craig's plans, Craig loves to play with him, too.

(They didn't know I was taking this video, or watching them at all). 

And Caleb loves Craig right back.

He seems to be loving having me to himself for a couple of hours a day, though. It's a nice change of pace, to let him call the shots on our activities.

Craig did his first year of preschool and has now started his second.

He loves going and playing. When I drop him off, Craig usually doesn't even look back, he just heads on into the classroom, ready to go.



Craig is...
Smart
Funny
Sensitive
Sweet
Rambunctious
Stubborn
Excitable
Silly



October 2016

November 2016

December 2016

January 2017

February 2017

March 2017

April 2017

May 2017

June 2017

July 2017

August 2017

September 2017

As much as this kid drives me crazy, I can't imagine life without him and his hugs.

I'm so glad he's been mine the last four years, and will be mine forever.

Craig is four!

My middle child has turned four! His birthday was on a Sunday, so we celebrated mostly on his birthday, and a little on the next day.

Craig's birthday started with pancakes. I asked him what he wanted for all his meals and cake a week earlier, and he told me he wanted "pancakes without chocolate chips." So when I used up all the chocolate chips making the frosting for his cake, I wasn't concerned. But while I was making pancakes Sunday morning, however... You guessed it, he told me he wanted pancakes with chocolate chips. But we have no chocolate chips, and the birthday boy is in tears. So I'm improvised and made homemade chocolate syrup using the recipe on the cocoa container. Plus added some sprinkles.

Thankfully, everyone approved.

After breakfast, we headed to church. Craig was super excited to tell everyone that it was his birthday - "TODAY!" One lady helping in primary said she had never seen a kid so excited for it to be their birthday. Well, that's Craig for you.

Finally it was time for presents. Craig had told me he wanted Star Wars Legos months ago, so I bought them months ago.

Thankfully he was still excited for them, even if my fingers got tired of putting them all together. He also loved the PAW Patrol stuff my mom bought him. Zuma was a necessary addition to the bath that night, obviously.

Because there was a bath that night for kiddos. Because there was first cake!

Craig wanted vanilla cake with chocolate frosting, and while we were making it, I asked if he wanted the cake inside to be any fun colors, since I have the food coloring, after all.

The next day, for Craig's birthday/FHE, we went to West Ed and did some mini golf. Kiddos figured out the gist of it by the end, and we had fun.

Cactus arms and babies stealing your golf ball and all.

Craig especially loved to celebrate.

So, let's celebrate him being four!

Happy Birthday, Craig!