Kyalo: four

I don't know what is more amazing...the fact that I woke up to a new dusting of snow on the ground today, or that Kyalo turned four on Friday.  I CAN tell you which one of those things I like better.  I'm done with winter.

Anyway...

April 3, 2015

(Kenya shirts for life!)

Kyalo's now a big man of four.  He's fun and energetic and full of life, loves his sister, is smart and engaged, caring and helpful, and all the other proud-mama adjectives there are.  This year has been hard. I would say we were in a 'terrible threes' year for sure.  He is strong willed, sometimes defiant, and so on.  So, I guess he's a typical 3 or 4 year old. (Right? this is typical???) It was not without a LOT of transition of course - a big move, a new job (and schedule) for Dexter, a new baby - in a very short time frame, so really, the 'terribleness' was to be expected somewhat.  As we settled into our new life as a family of four, and into routines, things did get better.

One big change that came at some point this year, maybe after Malaikah was born? is that he gave up napping.  It was not without my every effort to keep it going.  Now, though, he is in his room most days from 2-4 for 'quiet time' (which, sometimes, is not very quiet at all).  Some days are better than others, but for the most part, he stays in his room and plays.  Books on CD help.  New toys do too.  Those of you who are parents - any other ideas?

he wasn't exactly cooperating for these pictures.  this is four, I guess.

Kyalo's been in school two mornings a week at a nearby Montessori school.  Some days, I'm never really sure what they do, and others, he comes home full of facts and information about the planets or continents, or about the books they've read. So, he's learning something! Even though some mornings it is hard to get him out of bed and out the door, I think he likes it.  I definitely have a foretaste of what high school will be like though!

Ask him his favorite color and he'll say, "Red and orange and pink."  I guess it is too hard to decide!  He still loves all things artsy -- cutting seems to be his favorite activity.  Give the boy a pair of scissors and no paper is safe.  Neither is our house as it is quickly covered in confetti.  Here he is painting at his friend Lucas' a few weeks ago...

Picasso in the making!  If only we'd get him one of these easels. . .

He still loves loves loves baseball. And as the days have gotten *slightly* warmer (and longer) it is coming back into our daily conversation.  I signed him up for T-Ball (which will start "when the snow is off the field") and when I came home and told him, he said, 'I don't want to play T-Ball! I want to play baseball!'  He also talks about us going to Fenway Park to watch him pitch.  Should I call up some scouts and tell them to keep an eye out for and up-and-coming player?

here he is with his new Red Sox hat and Shirt.  Why wouldn't the Red Sox want him?

For Kyalo's birthday on Friday morning we had bacon and waffles, and he opened the presents that other people were kind enough to send him.

Then that night we drove to MA to be there for the Easter weekend.  He and my dad sort of-kind of share a birthday.  Kyalo was born just after midnight April 3 in Kenya - it was still April 2 here in the US, so my dad likes to claim they share.

Here are the birthday buddies:

We celebrated with a baseball cupcake!

Oh - while we were MA (civilization! there are TWO Marshall's within 15 minutes, not to mention Old Navy, Target, Bed Bath and Beyond , etc - a real mecca!) Dexter picked up a hair shaver for himself, and gave Kyalo his first ever real hair cut. No more snip snip snip as he runs past me.  It is pretty short right now, but it makes him look old and wise, and it will grow back to its wild and crazy stage pretty quick!

 do you think he's happy?

make a wish!

I wish I'd thought to get a picture of him and I together.  Next year, maybe!

It is exciting to think about all that is ahead of Kyalo - the new adventures, the learning and exploring and fun.  It is going so fast...most of the time...

Here are a few other pictures from the last few months:

A beautiful new outfit from Grandma. He wore it one day and then managed to dump an ENTIRE bottle of moroccan hair oil (I was very pleased by this, naturally) down the shirt and pants.  Thankfully, several washes later and the oil is gone!

Last week for an Easter activity I had some friends over to dye Easter eggs and decorate cookies.  He'd never dyed eggs before, so it was a fun activity!  Made better with friends.

Lastly, a couple of photos of Kyalo when I picked him up from school today.  Spring is called 'mud season' here.  I'm beginning to see the point. . .

 mud freckles

muddy!

You can believe he went right home and into a bath!  I envision a lot of loads of laundry in my future.  Maybe I need to get one of those outside shower hook ups?  Or just a lot of old worn out clothes...

So that's a wrap up of our newly minted four year old.  We love him so much.