Just like that, my miracle baby has turned 4. Four! Where did it go? Just like all those old ladies tell you tearfully in the grocery store while you’re schlepping an enormous infant carrier bedraggled and exhausted with spit-up on your shirt, “it goes by so fast.”  And so it does.

Age three was a delight but I’m looking forward to all the fun of four. He’s so funny and stubborn and silly and cuddly, all in one. That same old-man-trapped-in-child’s-body thing is still going strong.  His love for Jude is growing at the same rate of speed that he is. And he has completed our family in such a beautiful way.

As he grows, we continue to see his personality unfolding. He continues to talk NONSTOP (OMG SO MANY WORDS ALLLLL THE TIME) and I see a creativity to him that is flourishing (ahem – as evidenced by Sharpie on my console). He’s also my sous chef — the kid loves mixing up special concoctions and cooking alongside me.

More things he loves: Carlton Landing (as do we all), Spiderman, Paw Patrol, his bike, donuts, chocolate milk, going to school, basketball, soft blankets to wrap up in, going to the library.

(also: poor Nickels hahahaha — he and Archer are surprisingly similar in personality)

THE BIRTHDAY PARTY

The plight of the secondborn child is that they never get it as good as the first, and I hate to say that it’s true. But, it’s true.

Archer’s birthday weekend fell on a crazy busy one for all of us, and so we celebrated on Friday night with a joint party with my niece Hadley. So there was a unicorn cake (omg so cute) and also a Spiderman cake (ahem — please note the two little fingerprints on the side of Spidey’s head).

We hastily ate cheeseburgers and onion rings, sang happy birthday and opened some presents before we all had to run out the door in the rain to go to Jude’s first of 3 basketball games that weekend.

But we did take the time to slow down on Saturday night and eat noodles, per Archer’s request, just the 4 of us. And then it was out the door again for me the next morning to Dallas market.

BIRTHDAY BLESSING

First of all, how amazing would it be to go back to preschool? All you do is play, eat snacks, go outside – heaven, right? Jude came over to Archer’s class for his special birthday blessing and he was all “Nope, not going back to fifth grade. This is where it’s at.”  And who can blame him?

At Archer and Jude’s school, each kid is celebrated on their birthday with a “birthday blessing.” It involves everybody telling all the things that they love about you  and what makes you great, and I leave there every time thinking “The world needs more of this.” Because it’s absolutely 100% a delight.

We love you, Archer Bryce. You are the best of the best of the best, right there with your big brother. I’m so glad you have each other.