Dear William (47 months)

Dear William,

Today you are 47 months old! Time is just flying by.

We started off the month with a camping trip near Boonville, IN.  Your father was doing an off-road triathlon there.  Let's just say it wasn't the classiest place in the world (for example, there was a woman at the campground wearing a confederate flag bikini).  But we had some fun.  We found a playground.

There was a water slide there too, and you insisted that you wanted to go on it.  I told you that you would get your face wet and you would go all the way under the water at the end, and you said that would be fine.  You said you wanted to sit on my lap and ride the slide, and so I hesitantly agreed.  But as we started going down, you got really, really scared and didn't want to do it anymore.  Kind of too late at that point.  And then at the end you were terrified.  You screamed and cried as we went under water.  I think it scarred you for life.  You had about 2 weeks of swim lessons left and you refused to even get in the water most of that time.  I really hope you can recover from this someday.

 Before the slide. There are no pictures from afterwards.  Too much crying.

We went to the library a couple of times this month and picked out some new books to read.  We found a really good one about a baboon.

We all had some cuddles on the couch.

 

You helped me do a lot of painting this month.  We painted your room brown and another color brown (your description).

Your dad bought a season pass to Six Flags, and because he claims you are 42" tall (you are not), he took you on some of the big roller coasters, such as the Screaming Eagle. 

You called Six Flags the "Fun Park" and it wore you out so much that you fell asleep on the way home.

I got my hair cut this month, and it was horrible and so I had to re-do it myself after I got home.  You were very sweet about it and said, "Oh Mommy, you are so pretty."

You ran the kids' version of Macklind Mile again this year (it was 1/4 mile).  Your grandpa and daddy ran it with you.

Your friend who is our neighbor was running it too.  She fell down.  You called her The Baby Who Fell Down after that.

You had a strong finish.

 

I couldn't go to your race because I was at a workshop learning to be a doula that weekend.  The workshop was good, but I was really sad about missing your race.

While I was at the workshop, your dad kept you busy by taking you to ride on trains and going to the Fun Park again.

You fell off your bicycle that weekend, and you had a scraped up lip :(

 

Your dad also got you a new pool, I think to try to counteract your fear of the water after the waterside incident.

 

You were very helpful this month.  You helped me go grocery shopping.

You rode your bike a lot.  

You still go to school 2 days a week, and you have started riding your bike there while one of us jogs along beside you.  I am so proud of you for doing that!  Your school is almost 2 miles away!

Our air conditioner stopped working again (just briefly) so we had to camp out in the basement where it was cool.  You didn't mind.

 

You played with some of the neighbor kids this month, including The Baby Who Fell Down.  The conversations you had with each other were so interesting.

 

Will: I am number three, almost number four.  What number are you?

Baby Who Fell: I am number two, almost number 3.

Will: I went to the library and the fun park and Ashlynn's house and Nicaragua.

Baby Who Fell: I had a cupcake.

 

Will, you and I have had an amazing month, and I have one more whole month left before I have to go back to work.  I am looking forward to all the fun things we are going to do!!

Love always,

Mama Meli