His Version of Four~City Mom

I got home from the gym tonight and this is how I found my Odes. Standing in the back yard, blue shorts too big for his body, a batman night shirt inside out, complete with bike helmet (he does not yet know how to ride). I felt a lump rising in my throat. I know exactly why.

There's just SOMEthing about a four year old.

Odes was an extremely content baby. He nuzzled into the Moby wrap and the Ergo carriers almost like an extension of the womb. He never cried. Ever. He laughed. He smiled. He let us pass him to nearly anyone at church. He began talking early. At a year he was a bullet running around the house and his mouth went faster than his feet. The pediatrician asked me at his yearly check up, "how many words does he say?" I laughed and said, "everything!" She looked at me doubtfully and then her jaw dropped when he began to sing, "The boys are back, yeah, the boys are back" (from High School Musical).

Years 1.5 to 3.5 were blurrishly exhausting with this boy. He'd say cute things like "Mommy, can you get my winter on?" when he wanted to go outside. But, I also had to come up with ways to keep him from destroying EVERY MOMENT of our homeschooling efforts. We'd put him in a gate with a snack and the ipod or a special toy. That worked for a short time. We tried to encourage him to sit on my lap. That never worked. He was often making some kind of offense toward me or one of the other kids. We'd strap him in his car seat to keep him in a "time out" (don't get nervous, I didn't leave him in there alone). I called my parents in Florida saying I simply did not know what to do! We'd school during his nap, but by then, we were all so exhausted by our attempts at "play" from the morning that none of us wanted to sit down and focus on anything. He got kicked out of the church nursery at the church we visited when he was not even two. The workers thought he'd do better with the pre-school aged class. We found him with the pre-schoolers, charming the teacher and participating in the little study.

I need to say...during this time Odes brought us delightful gifts as well. He decided at 2.5 one day when he woke up that he was "done" with diapers. He walked over to the toilet, used it, and never wore a diaper or pull-up afterward. Not even at night. He just potty~trained. The end. He made us laugh...unendingly. At DisneyWorld, he'd get measured to see if he was tall enough to go on a ride. After the ride, he'd beg to go on again and would go up to the worker to get measured again. When they said he was tall enough he'd jump up and down and say "I'm big enough! I can go on!"

But something happened when Odes turned four. First of all, his eyes began to open up to Jesus. During communion in church he began asking things like, "Am I *in* Christ mommy? How do I know if I am saved or not?" He told me he wanted Jesus to pay for his sins and to follow Him. Even tonight as he sat on my lap, he felt the need to check in with me again to make sure that it was simply Jesus payment for sin on the cross that helped him receive eternal life, and nothing in himself which he had to do. And whether it is his new found love of Jesus or turning age four, there is something in me that wants to slow down the clock a little and keep him right here...just for a little longer.

Life these days with my four year old Odes looks like this:
~When he got up just a little earlier than everyone else, and couldn't find me because I was in the shower, he sat in the play room, looking sad. When I found that he was not in his room, I searched and found him there. His tear stained eyes looked up at me and said, "I'm so glad you are MY mommy!"

~He runs to me when I come home from the gym or an errand like I'd been gone on vacation. He leaps into my arms and hugs and kisses over & over.

~Odes says, "please mommy, can we read "I'm Special, I'm Me" one more time? And will you change the names in it to our family like you do?

~When he goes to the Dr. and they offer him stickers he picks one out and then asks, "But would it be OK if I picked one out for my brother and sisters?"

~He curls up in my lap after naps, or any chance he can get and asks me to hold him.

~His heart longs to be kind toward others and obedient to me. When he messes up, he readily submits to a "do-over" as long as I am empathetic and understanding of how it is he is feeling.

~Odes was working on perler beads...his very first "big" project all on his own. He asked me not to look at it. I told him I *might* have to peek at it just a bit, if I was going to be the one to iron it. When he finished the project, he came up to me with the pink heart behind his back saying, "pink IS your favorite color, right?" and a few minutes later, "I have only ONE thing for you for Mother's Day mommy." And that night when his new little friend found the heart and it broke in her hands he came running to me saying "She broke my heart mommy!" He is still four, fortunately mommy can still take care of things like that. (At 10 pm I got out my iron, adhered the parts back together and left presumably my Mother's Day gift next to his spot at the table with an "I love you Odes" note next to it.)

~Odes asks me nearly every day, "Mommy, let's play guys, just you & me." And I do. Because, and oh, I'm getting choked up thinking this...but he won't be asking me to be playing "guys" for much longer.

You see...I didn't understand, when JuBe and Peebs were four, that there is some kind of turning point when a child turns 5. They begin to separate more. They begin to form friendships. They don't get quite as excited when mommy comes in the room. They don't want to be on my "team" anymore when we play Sequence. They won't put on silly clothes with no thought of what others think. They don't hold my hand quite as readily in public. They may still sit on my lap, but their long legs and gangly bodies don't fit quite as comfortably for long periods of time. They don't tell me EVERYthing on their mind. They don't like toys as much and aren't quite as enthralled with things like "Rescue Heroes" or stuffed animals.

But my little four year old...he's still all mine. At least for a little while longer. I plan to cherish each day of this year with my Odes...and all my babies and the sweet phases they are in. Today, I just can't shake "there's just something about a four year old." Makes me want to go run over and curl up next to him and cuddle him just a bit before I head to bed. These sweet days pass so quickly.

Is there an age or stage that you've really loved with your children? I'd love to hear about it!!!