Lane at 3 years 10 months

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It's been so long since I've done one of these and I have some down time which is basically unheard of here, so I'm jumping on the opportunity.

Oh Lane Rook.  

You are something else.  

You NEVER stop moving, talking, jumping, dancing, asking, humming, singing, wiggling.  Just a few minutes ago when I was vacuuming you were playing a game to see how many times you could run directly in front of the vacuum without getting clipped.  Earlier as I was trying to read an important document you were right in my face saying, "I'm a cuddle fish that wants to cuddle his mommy, so let me cuddle you.  I'll cuddle you softly. Cuddle cuddle cuddle....." and climbing on my swollen stomach and all around my head on the couch cushions.

When we finally put you to sleep at night, we sigh out all the exhaustion from being your parents for a day simultaneously discussing how much we miss you.  You rip us to shreds and fill our hearts so completely.

You have imaginary friends that are all ducks or birds, mostly ducks.  You like to carry them around in your palm and pet them and say "Oh sweet duck" to them.  They run errands for you too, coming back with imaginary presents that you often give to me with an accompanying "Happy Birthday" song.

You're ready for a sister and I can't WAIT to see you two together.  You already love her and you don't even know what a baby is.  In the mornings you come wake me up with kisses and then switch to kissing my belly, saying, "Good morning sister."  You tell me how you're going to take baths together and it's going to be a ton of fun.  Every time you have the opportunity to buy something at the store, you want to buy one for her, and your imaginary duck friend always enters through my belly button to give your sister a present/kiss/cuddle before coming back out to hang with you.

This is not to say you're always cuddly.  90% of the time you want to give kisses and presents, and the other 10% you have a teenager's attitude and say things like, "Leave me alone.  Don't talk to me!" or "I don't want you to do ANYTHING." Or my favorite: "I wasn't TALKING to you Mom, I was talking to Dad."  Like, duh.

You've taken to habit swiping small toys from school or other friend's houses.  You leave something in return, but this happens without asking/communicating what's going on.  It's a slippery slope because you also give your toys away randomly, usually while our jaw is dropped as you hand over something that cost quite a bit of money and don't expect it back.  We're working through this one.  At least you're well-behaved in stores, but I've got my eye on you.

You were pretty slow on the milestone of dressing yourself.  As other kids were getting into the outfit choices around 2, you were still expecting us to pull on your pants.  Then one day around 3 years old you went into your room in one outfit and came out in another - having dressed yourself anew down to your underwear and socks.  Ever since, you do it all.  Pajamas are the only thing we still put you into, mostly out of routine.

We've stopped letting you climb in our bed in the middle of the night in preparation for your sister.  We did this by putting a baby gate on your door for a few weeks.  Now we can do without the baby gate.  You still wake up (still, omg) but don't come sleep in our bed.  Instead you just wait by our door until one of us wakes up to you creepily standing there and puts you back down in your bed.  Most nights that happens once.  Lately though it's happened every 2 hours which just....isn't gonna cut it kiddo.  

I've found that you'll try new foods if there's something you really really want at the end of the tunnel.  Lately that's been cheetos (which you call cheetahs).  We are still pretty limited with your diet, but you like protein and enough other stuff to equate a weeks worth of lunches and dinners.  I've learned that you'll eat any kind of vegetable in pickle juice or vinegar: Sauerkraut, pickled carrots and cauliflower, pickled beets.  This is, however, the only way you'll eat vegetables.  Needless to say, you get a daily multivitamin which I believe is how you survive.

I just stepped away from this post to put you to bed.  While I was reading you your books, you were wiggling and kicking the books with your feet and asking question after question about the characters.  When your books were done and I was singing your lullabies, you were whispering unintelligibly over my songs.  One minute your whispers were happening, the next you were OUT.  It perfectly sums up your 4-year-old-ness: constantly on until you're completely asleep.  Good night wild child.  I'm steeling myself for another beautiful, exhausting day as your momma.