4 to 4.

Dear Carter,

You are 4 days away from turning 4 Years Old.  I can't even believe it.  Four seems so big to me.  Then again, every milestone you've hit has made you seem bigger, while every milestone Corbin hits he still seem so little.  I have to remind myself often that you are little.  "Let him be little."

You are an energetic, smart, loving, thoughtful little boy.  You are a toot, no doubt, but above that, the others I listed, of course.  You are in love with trains, and all that goes with trains; building tracks, playing stories with your train characters.  You could spend hours (by hours I mean minutes) building with legos, magna-tiles, reading books, playing dinosaurs, playing games of chase or tag around our house.

I'm fascinated at what your four-year-young mind comes up with.  There is a song on the radio that sings "that girl is so dangerous, that girl is so dangerous.." and you hear every.single.word. that plays.  Of course, you asked why that girl is so dangerous.  Daddy and I replied we weren't sure and asked what you thought.  "I think that girl is so dangerous because she touched the plug (outlet) in the wall."  Right on, little man, that girl is obviously dangerous.  Also, The Big Yellow Monkey from 2, yes t.w.o. years ago (that's half of your life!!) still visits in dreams or fantasy.  Just yesterday you brought him up out of the blue.  While riding in the car you said that "The Big Yellow Monkey is in Heaven because he hasn't been made yet."  I was definitely taken back by that statement for several reasons.  Really THREE specific parts of that sentence.  What a brain!!!  So I asked who will make The Big Yellow Monkey, "God."  DUH!!!

Four little years ago, in Shanghai, I was days beyond my due date.  Grammy had arrived for your birth and we were set to visit the doctor every other day at that point.

When you are not having babies in China, you are shopping.  Since you had not arrived, Grammy and I were shopping!  We had already traveled so far to the tactile markets to have chair covers made, the fabric market for a cashmere coat and of course, the jewelry market for...jewelry.  All of this within a few days.  Poor Mr. Gu, our driver, was no doubt annoyed with having to drop Daddy off way on the other side of Shanghai, then to drive all the way back to pick us up, then all the way back to the markets, and again for drop offs.

I love you to the Moon and Back!
(then you say "I love you to Heaven and back!"  then I say "I love you to Heaven and back and to the moon, then down to Texas over to Shanghai, to the North Pole back to the moon and then to Canada!!")

Love,
Mom