I don't know the answer to some of those questions, but I do know now what he is like as a four-year old.
Carter loves his brother, Damon, more than just about anyone. He loves McKay and they will probably always be best friends, but Damon is Carter's idol. If Damon forgets to lock his door in the morning when he goes to school, Carter is quick to take things and play with them until Damon gets home. One of his favorite things to do is to take Damon's favorite hat and wear it all day until it's time to pick the kids up from school. Then he'll take it back to Damon's room, and no one's the wiser.
Carter and McKay have had a hard time staying in their own beds lately, and Carter's incentive for staying in his bed every night is getting to sleep with Damon on Friday nights. It's amazing how effective it is for him. Unfortunately, McKay is not as easy to convince (he wants to sleep with Allie EVERY night).
Carter also has a thing for sweat shorts. He loves them more than anything else, and wants to wear them every day. Occasionally I can talk him into changing into pants when we have to go outside, but the moment we're back in the door, he'll be stripping down and putting his shorts back on. He likes this particular combination of red and red.
He also has been getting McKay in on the act, and encouraging McKay to wear comfy shorts, too. This day, he let McKay wear the coveted Hurley shorts (coveted because of the pockets they have).
Carter also despises wearing jackets or coats of any kind, and frequently complains about being cold (imagine that). I can usually talk him into a Batman hoodie, which is what he was wearing the day of his actual birthday.
Carter has a thing for order and routine. He's pretty happy, as long as we are following the routine. He gets up in the morning, helps me with breakfast (usually by eating toast as soon as it's cooked and not waiting for the hot cereal). He's also in charge of getting the scriptures and putting them away. After breakfast, he and McKay will play downstairs for a while and then come up and get under a blanket with Bex. They'll sneak a snack of fruit or nuts at some point, as they just can't wait until lunch. We finally eat, and then immediately, he wants to have his "rest time," which consists of watching one show (Land Before Time or Paw Patrol are the current favorites), and 30 minutes of computer/playing video games. He loves the computer/games, and would play for hours if he were allowed. On Thursdays, we go to the library after school, so Carter has to decide if he's going to give up his afternoon play time for a chance to play the computer at the library. Sometimes he will, and others he will give up the library time. He's actually gotten very good at understanding when he can and can't play, and doesn't complain much any more when I tell him it's time to turn it off.
After school, he hangs out with the other kids, and occasionally wants to play with neighborhood friends. After dinner, he likes to get into his jammies, even if bedtime isn't for hours. And bedtime is a strict routine: brush teeth, go potty, read 4-5 books, sing 4-5 songs with the light off so they can see the projector night light on the ceiling and then prayers. If that routine is followed, both boys will usually go to sleep fairly easily. If not, there is a lot of whining and crying (from Carter) about not doing it right. He likes things done in a predictable manner, and can make life miserable if they're not.
Carter loves super heroes, cars, puzzles and games (Candy Land is a new favorite). He has really been enjoying Sunbeams and is starting to sing on pitch a lot more often. He loves wrestling with McKay (especially right after they get out of the shower, for some reason), and is usually the cause of McKay's scratches on his face. He loves hot dogs, cucumbers, oranges, and anything sweet. He's actually very good at eating most of what I serve him, although if he decides he doesn't like something, no amount of convincing will change his mind.
He is a typical boy, who loves potty humor and making rude noises and laughing hysterically. He asks things like, "Did I come out of your butt?" He likes doing physical things like jumping on the trampoline and doing flips and cartwheels. He knows all of his letters (thanks to Letter Factory), but doesn't seem to be the brightest kid in the family. I am anticipating a bit of a challenge when we start working on reading in the fall.
His health is very good, which constantly amazes me. He hasn't had any breathing issues in well over a year, and rarely gets sick. He is loving and kind and tender-hearted. He's stubborn and self-deprecating when he doesn't get his way, but happy and so much fun when he does.
For his actual birthday, we went to SLC to meet Monique, who was coming home from her mission to Australia. Jeff was in New Mexico working, so we decided to wait and celebrate when he got home. We took the Front Runner train with Tom and his family, which was a lot of fun.
(video game obsession)
Seeing Monique for the first time in 18 months
Friday we had his "party," which was nothing more than pizza, cake, and presents with his family. Perfect. He picked out a book at Costco from grandma and grandpa.
His only request for cake was "a gummy bear cake," so that's exactly what he got. He also chose Orange Scream ice cream (like an orange dreamsicle).
He got to take a bath in my tub (which the other kids horned in on) and pretty much had the best day he could have hoped for.
I am so in love with him and am so lucky to be his mommy.
