Sweet and Funny

Dear Sawyer,

You are such a sweet, sensitive little guy. I found you crying on the steps the other day and when I asked you what happened, you said you were sad because you had accidentally ripped a picture you had drawn for me.

And you are such a funny little guy. My stomach is still big from being pregnant, so you asked me if I was pregnant again. I said no and you told me, "Oh, I thought Daddy gave you another special hug." Haha!

Love,

Mom

You're A Big Brother!

Dear Sawyer,

For the past four years, you have been the baby of the family but you were officially promoted to Big Brother three days ago when your baby sister arrived! Some kids don't like it when a newer, younger, smaller kid joins the family but I don't think this is going to be you. For one thing, when I first told you that I was pregnant, you stood up on the couch, held your arms way out to your sides and shouted, "This is how much I'm going to love the baby!" Then during my pregnancy, you decided that the baby's name should be Cutie and you kept asking me on a weekly basis why the baby was taking such a long long time to get here.

You went through so many emotions during these first few days with MuiMui:

-Sadness: I went into labor in the middle of the night so you were still asleep when I left for the hospital. When you woke up and JieJie told you I was at the hospital, you cried and said you missed me.

-Wonder: The first time we video chatted after MuiMui was born, you saw her and said, "Awww, she looks so cute." When she started making newborn gurgling noises, you asked, "What is that cute sound coming from the baby?" When I brought MuiMui home from the hospital, you were waiting anxiously by the door when I came in and looked so happy and smitten to meet her for the first time. Your head was tilted, you had your hands clasped against your cheek and you had such a sweet smile on your face.

-Jealousy: A few hours after MuiMui and I came home, you asked me, "Why do you keep looking at the baby? Why you keep holding the baby?"

-Annoyance: That first night home, MuiMui woke you up twice. You came into my room and said groggily, "The baby interrupted my rest time."

Overall, though, you seem to be growing really fond of your new sister. And she is so lucky to have you!

Love,

Mom

A Holy Name

Dear Sawyer,

I say "Oh my god" and "Jesus!" a lot, which is not something I really thought about until you started going to a Catholic school this year. While you were playing with your cars in your room today, I heard you exclaim, "Jesus!" and said, "I know I say that a lot but I shouldn't and you shouldn't, either." You replied, "Because you are taking God's name?" And I mentally slapped my forehead and thought to myself, "Gah! I'm too late with this because your teacher already had a talk with you about it!"

So yeah, I said that it's impolite to take God's name. And then you had the cutest question: You asked me, "If I take God's name, does it mean my name is God?" Totally logical and totally sweet!

Love,
Mom

Trucking Along

Dear Sawyer,

Our neighbors in the house next to us have been doing a massive amount of landscaping and construction in their yard for the past year. They cut down a huge decades-old tree (our entire house actually shook when the enormous trunk fell to the ground), cleared out dozens of bushes and are currently building a concrete patio and what looks like a fire pit. It's going to be a really nice yard but you know what the best part is? All of that labor has provided endless hours of free entertainment for you! One of your bedroom windows looks out directly over the yard and you have spent so much time sitting o the daybed next to it and watching all of the work being done. A couple days ago, there was a cement mixer parked outside and a small bulldozer clearing away mountains of dirt. When you came home from school and saw them, you couldn't wait to run upstairs and shower so that you could sit on the daybed and watch all of the truck action. In fact, while Daddy was showering and getting you dressed, you kept asking me over and over, "Are the trucks still there? Are they still there? Can you tell them to wait for me?"

You sat at the window and watched your free Truck TV for the next hour or so, until the workers called it quits and went home for the day. What is it with little boys and vehicles?

Love,
Mom

Boogie Monster

Dear Sawyer,

This morning, you came into the kitchen looking sad and told me that you had a boo-boo on your arm. You showed me a tiny scab on your right arm, so I kissed it to make you feel better. But it turns out that it wasn't a scab--it was a dried booger.

Ew.

Love,
Mom

Cutie Mommy

Dear Sawyer,

More cuteness!

-When you were eating your after-school snack yesterday, you suddenly remembered something you learned at school and said, "Mrs. K said tomorrow on the calendar, some person is going to take a ship from one place to another place. Tomorrow. The day after this day." I was totally confused and asked you who is going on the ship. You replied, "Someone I don't know." Um, okay. It took me a minute but I eventually figured out that you were referring to Christopher Columbus!

-I was cooking dinner while listening to music on my iPad last night and you were hanging out in the kitchen with me. When I turned around to look at you at one point, you had opened the cabinet where the baking sheets are and put the step stool in front of it. You were sitting on the step stool, moving your fingers across the baking sheets as if you were playing a piano, swaying your head back and forth and opening your mouth as if you were singing. So cute!

-You are still super into dinosaurs and quote the LeapStart dinosaur book I got you all of the time. Allosaurus is your favorite dino and you always tell me it is "the deadliest dinosaur of the Jurassic period!" You have several miniature plastic dinosaurs and you have been carrying them all over the house in your PJ Masks lunchbox. You and I had time to play before school yesterday so we were playing with the dinosaurs and you looked like you were having so much fun. When it was time to leave for school, you gave me the sweetest smile and told Daddy, "I love Mommy the most."

-You were going to bed and I said, "Good night, Cutie Pie." You replied, "Good night, Cutie Mommy."

Love,
Mom

Future Roommate

Dear Sawyer,

Funny things you said recently:

"Drop-off [at school] is sad but pick-up is happy!"

Daddy: You look so handsome.
You: Yeah.

You were upstairs by yourself when you came downstairs and asked me, "Can you be near me?"

You sang this to me while I was cooking dinner last night: "I want to hug my mommy! I want to hug my mommy! Because I l-o-o-o-o-ove her."

Me (waking you up for school): Good morning, Baby Bear!
You (drowsily): G'morning.
Me: Hi!
You (still drowsily): Hi. I'm going to tell you a joke now, okay?
Me: Oh, okay.
You (fully awake now): Why did the train say "choo-choo"? Because it was going on a delicate track! Haha! You get it?
Me (thinking): Not in the slightest.

You: When I'm a grown-up, I'm going to live with Mila.
Daddy: You might have to ask her first.
You: I don't have to ask her. She loves me.

Love,
Mom

Calling the Shots

Dear Sawyer,

You still handle shots like. A. BOSS. You, JieJie and GuhGaw all had to go to the pediatrician yesterday for your annual flu shots and despite being the youngest, you were by far the bravest. While we were waiting for the doctor, GuhGaw and JieJie were already whimpering about how they didn't want any shots and you kept saying, "I got shots before and they didn't even hurt." You even told the nurse, "I'm tough. I have big muscles." (The nurse was so smitten by your cuteness during the entire appointment that at the end of it, she told us to call her anytime we needed someone to babysit you, haha!)

When the shots were ready, you were fine with going first and sat calmly on the exam table. The doctor asked if you wanted to look away and you said no. In fact, you looked right at the shot as the doctor injected it into your arm and didn't flinch or make a single sound. Boom. Done.

Your braveness emboldened JieJie and she told the doctor that she wanted to go second. JieJie was still a little nervous and asked me to hold hand but she also looked right at the shot as it went in and was fine, especially when the doctor gave her a sparkly silver Band-Aid.

GuhGaw . . . he was another story. He had to be held down against the exam table by Daddy and he kept trying to get away while screaming, "Wait!! I'm not ready! I'm not ready!" When he was finally done, you told the nurse matter-of-factly, "GuhGaw whines a lot."

But anyway, you are awesome--and famous at the pediatrician's office! When we were leaving, a completely different nurse saw you and said, "Are you the strong guy who does so well with shots?" So impressive!

Love,
Mom

Bathroom Etiquette

Dear Sawyer,

You impressed me with how thoughtful you are within minutes of you waking up this morning. When you went to use the bathroom, you saw a Q-tip that had fallen next to the trash can and immediately bent down to pick it up and throw it away. There are actually errant Q-tips that have missed the trash can more often than not in the bathroom (they often bounce off the side when Daddy or I toss them from across the bathroom) and you told me, "When I see a Q-tip on the floor, I always pick it up and throw it away so it doesn't hurt the earth." (I have taught you that littering and throwing garbage on the ground harms the planet.)

Then, while you were peeing into the toilet, you told me that when you pee in the middle of the night, you always aim for the "white side of the toilet" instead of the toilet water at the bottom of the bowl so that you don't make any noise and wake everyone up.

Being thoughtful in the most unexpected ways--I love it! And I love you so much!

Love,
Mom

Happy Pick-Up

Dear Sawyer,

Daddy usually picks you up from school every day but I was there today and you looked SO happy when you saw me! When you saw me through the door while you were walking down the stairs, your face immediately lit up and you started waving at me. Then when your teacher dismissed you, you ran toward me, shrieked with excitement and jumped into my arms. Best. Greeting. EVER!

Love,
Mom

Missing Mommy

Dear Sawyer,

Two super sweet things and one sweetly sad thing you did recently:

-When we were eating dinner a few nights ago, I suddenly felt a sharp kick in my stomach. I was fine but you ran around the table, hugged me and said, "I hug you to make you feel better so that the kick doesn't hurt you."

-You came into my room yesterday morning while I was still in bed. You put your hand on my bare shoulder and it felt cold to you, so you immediately pulled my sheet up to cover my shoulder and told me, "I cover you so you're not cold anymore."

-You were playing in the attic by yourself this afternoon when you suddenly came downstairs sobbing. Our housekeeper saw you and asked you what was wrong and you replied, "I miss Mommy." When you found me in the kitchen, you ran into my arms and asked, "Can you play with me?"

Love,
Mom

New Girl

Dear Sawyer,

Today was your fourth day of pre-k and you have already made a new best friend! We had this conversation after you came home:

You: Charlotte P. is my favorite pre-k best friend. There is another Charlotte, Charlotte B., but I like Charlotte P.
Me: Why do you like Charlotte P.?
You: I like her because she looks beautiful.
Me: What does she look like?
You: She has dark hair and gray eyes [gray?] and she's taller than me because she eats more food.
Me: Is she nice? Is she a good listener?
You: Yeah, she's nice and every time I look at her, she is listening.
Me: Did you talk to her today?
You: Yeah. I told her that she is my best pre-k friend.
Me: What did she say?
You: She said I am her best pre-k friend, too. She said it back to me.
Me: Did you guys sit together today?
You: No. Only one time. But tomorrow I'm going to sit be next to her all the time.

I am so happy you already have a buddy! And I hope Mila won't be too upset . . .

Love,
Mom

First Day of Pre-K!

Dear Sawyer,

You started pre-k today! It was a big change for you since you are now at a brand-new school with new teachers, new classmates and even new uniforms. You also have to get used to going to school Monday through Friday for six hours every day instead of just going three days a week for three hours each day. But you have been pretty psyched about starting "big kid school" and even woke up at FIVE in the MORNING today. You generally wake up around 7am, so were you too excited to sleep?

You enthusiastically posed for first-day-of-school photos with GuhGaw and JieJie this morning and when they left for school first (their schools start earlier than yours does), you sadly watched them walk down the street and said, "I wish I was going to school now, too." So you were super pumped when I said it was time for us to go but that excitement turned into trepidation when we finally arrived at your school and there were SO. MANY. PEOPLE. Dozens of kids, parents, grandparents and teachers were gathered around the entrance and Shy Sawyer came out, grabbed my hand tightly and wouldn't let go, even while standing in line with the other kids. Your teacher and assistant teacher greeted you and asked you some questions but you avoided eye contact and didn't answer them. I talked to you softly, told you about all of the fun things you were going to experience and asked you if you wanted a hug. You shook your head no but then threw your arms around my neck and hugged me tightly. When it was finally time to go into the building, you weren't smiling but you bravely walked in and up the stairs.

When I picked you up two hours later (the first day is a shortened day), you grinned a big grin when you saw me and came running toward me. You said you had a good time and said you learned where your cubby is, saw your classmate feed the class turtle and played with some soft blocks, small dinosaurs and toy cars. You said you didn't feel pee so you didn't use the bathroom, haha! You also said you didn't get a snack, so you were delighted when I pulled a chocolate chip muffin out of my purse for you.

Later when we were home, I walked into your room and said, "Hi, Pre-k-er!" You smiled and said, "I like it when you call me that."

I'm so glad you had a good first day, sweetie!

Love,
Mom

Television Is the Best Medicine

Dear Sawyer,

Things you did recently that made me laugh:

-Your new school hosted a painting party on Tuesday morning so that you could meet your teachers and new classmates. It started at 9am so I told you the night before that you would have to wake up early and get ready. When you woke up on Tuesday, you exclaimed, "I have to go to school! I have to get ready! Quick! Quick!" You then ripped off your pajamas, ran to use the bathroom and wash your hands and booked it back to your room and got dressed. You were like a firefighter getting ready! Wonder how long we can sustain that sense of urgency during the actual school year?

-I was on the couch last night when you walked over to me with a super sweet smile. You leaned toward me and gave a long, tight hug. I breathed in the smell of your hair and just as I was thinking what a sweet moment we were having, you asked me, "Do you want to smell by butt?" What now? Way to kill the mood, little guy! I laughed and asked you why you asked me that. You said, "So that you can know if it's clean or not." Um, no thanks!

-You were playing in your room tonight and accidentally hit your head on the edge of your bed really hard. You cried a lot and while I was comforting you, you asked me in a shaky voice, "Can I watch TV to make myself feel better?" Hahaha! I asked you if a kiss from me would make you feel better and you said, "No, that would only make me feel a little better." Sneaky sneaky. But you were so cute that I caved and let you watch "Blaze and the Monster Machines."

Love,
Mom

First Kiss

Dear Sawyer,

Cute things you did recently:

-Aunt Sarin, Uncle Austin and Julietta came over to visit last weekend. A few minutes after they came in and we exchanged hellos and hugs, I realized you were nowhere to be found. I went into your room and called out for you. You responded and I heard your voice come out from under your bed! I asked you what you were doing under there and you said, "I don't want to see them!" I eventually convinced you to come out and join everyone in JieJie's room, where JieJie and Julietta were playing, but you hid behind me the entire time and refused to talk to anyone other than me. You are a very social, friendly guy but you can still be incredibly shy sometimes.

-You were playing in my closet and came out and told me, "I was in the cave! I found jewelry for you!" I said, "Wow! Did you find diamonds for me?" You replied, "Yes! I got you diamonds and rectangles and all the shapes!" Haha!

-We went to your BFF Mila's birthday party yesterday and you and Mila were so happy to see each other again! Her parents told us that you were the only party guest she cared about coming. Another one of your nursery school classmates, Ella, was also at the party and her parents told us that when they were driving over, Ella said, "I hope Sawyer is going to be at the party. He and Mila are best friends." You and Mila have such a sweet friendship! At one point during the party, the two of you even kissed on the lips and GuhGaw came running over to tell the adults (he left out the part about him actually being the one who goaded you two to kiss in the first place). Later, Mila's mom asked you, "Hey, did you kiss my daughter?" You looked at her matter-of-factly, "Yes. Because I love her." How cute is that? And you're such a gentleman, too. At the end of the party, you and Mila climbed onto an ATV that was parked in the backyard. You had so much fun pretending to drive it and when I said it was time to go, you climbed off first and then turned back to hold Mila's hand and help her step down. At home, I told you that I noticed you do that and you said, "Yeah, because I know she was wearing a long dress." So sweet!

Love,
Mom

So Bubbly

Dear Sawyer,

Me: I'm going to miss you when you're in school all day.
You: But school doesn't last forever! Like bubbles!

You are so wise!

Love,
Mom

Boyfriend Trouble

Dear Sawyer,

So this happened at dinner tonight:

You: Mommy, remember that time we met your boyfriend?
Daddy and me: What?!
You: That time we met your boyfriend.
Daddy: What boyfriend?
Me: Sawyer, what are you talking about?!
You: Remember? We went to Manhattan and met your boyfriend and I was shy and was holding onto you.
Me, suddenly realizing what you were referring to: You mean that time we met my friend Rob when he was visiting from London?
You: Yeah.

Sheesh. Way to get me in trouble with Daddy, Sawyer!

Love,
Mom

Math Skills

Dear Sawyer,

I know I'm your mom and a little biased but I think you are super smart! This afternoon, I asked you what 1+1 is; you answered two. I asked you what 2+2 is; you chirped "Four!" Then I asked you what 3+3 is. You held up both of your hands and held up three fingers on your left hand and then three fingers on your right hand ("One, two, three. One, two, three."). Then you counted those fingers: "One, two, three, four, fix, six. Six!" You know how to add already!

It was really cute when I asked you 4+4 (which you also answered correctly) because you couldn't quite hold up four fingers on each hand without me helping you to hold your thumbs down, hehe.

Love,
Mom

End-of-Summer Blues

Dear Sawyer,

Next month, you will be starting "real" school and going to pre-k! You will be in school for six hours every day, which will be a big adjustment for you . . . and me! I have cherished our quality Sawyer-Mommy time so much over these past four years. I like taking you to gym, art, music or soccer classes and just walking around the neighborhood on a nice day. I love our morning snuggles after GuhGaw and JieJie have left for school and spending our afternoons baking chocolate chip cookies and lemon blueberry cakes. I look forward to your daily nap time because we curl up in your bed, read a book together and then cuddle until you fall asleep in my arms. I also really like not being stressed out while I rush to get you ready for school in the morning and to bed on time in the evening.

At least we still have a few more weeks of summer left. I love you so much, baby bear!

Love,
Mom

Pre-Reader

Dear Sawyer,

Here are some cute things you have done recently:

-When I asked you what you wanted to do one morning, you replied, "Spend time wis you."

-We were playing in your room one morning when I fell asleep on your bed. When I woke up from my little cap nap, I discovered that you had outlined the lower half of my body with all of your toy cars.

-The playground in our neighborhood has a little "library"--a covered wooden box with free books you can borrow or trade for books of your own. It's a great idea and the selection of books is different every time we go to the playground. Sometimes, you actually prefer to read the books instead of running around the jungle gyms! The last time we were there, it was time for us to go home so I asked you to put the books back. Not only did you carefully put them back in so that they were all right-side-up but when you dropped one on the ground, you dusted it off before you put it back in the box. So responsible!

-You love when I make water balloons for you and want me to make as many as possible. But then you hoard them in your bucket! You never like to throw them and watch them break and splash everywhere. But other kids do so when we were at the playground the other day, little kids kept trying to run up and take your water balloons and you just sat in the middle of the sprinklers with your arms draped over the bucket, guarding your precious treasure. The only times you parted with any balloons was to give a few to your BFF Mila :-)

-Daddy was trying to hug me one night but you pushed him away and said, "No, she's mine, all mine." Your siblings were possessive of me when they were little, too, but your possessiveness has outlasted theirs . . . which I guess makes sense since you're the youngest. But it's cute. I feel so loved!

-Right before bedtime one night, I opened a new container of lotion and gave you the cute little green box it came in to play with (you and your sister love squirreling things away in bags and boxes!). It obviously meant a lot to you because at 5 in the morning, you woke up, came running into my room in the dark and cried, "Where is the green lotion box?!?"

-When you read your Elephant & Piggie books (which you love!), you often run your fingers across the speech bubbles and "read" the text that you have memorized by now. When I read to you, you often tell me to point at the words as I say them so you know what on the page says what. And when I was reading about a mountain in a book the other day, you pointed to the word mountain on the page and asked, "Is that the word mountain?" I am so impressed, little man! You are going to be reading on your own so soon!

Love,
Mom

Forever Hug

Dear Sawyer,

You are always my super sweet baby boy. My arm was hurting a lot and you could tell something was wrong from my expression. You asked me, "Are you having a hard time?" I said I was and you came over to me and kissed me everywhere (even on my elbows!) to make me feel better.

Then after lunch today, you hugged me and pressed our cheeks together. You said, "Let's stay like this forever." I wish, baby bear, I wish!

Love,
Mom

Super Helper

Dear Sawyer,

I call you my Super Helper because you really are! One night, Daddy was bringing your cushioned chair back to your room and when you saw him carrying it down the hallway, you scrambled to move the toys that were in the doorway of your room so that Daddy wouldn't step or trip on them.

Then the other night, I was putting JieJie's laundry away in her shirt drawer. She had hung a decorative flower bell right above the drawer and it was in the way. You walked up to the dresser and held the flower bell out of the way until I was done putting all of the shirts in the drawer.

Both times, no one asked you for help and I am so incredibly proud of you for recognizing how you could be of assistance and then helping us! You are the best!

Love,
Mom

Mr. Independent

Dear Sawyer,

You have only been 4 years old for about two weeks but you have already matured so much in that time. For one thing, we started walking all the way to school and back. For most of the year, we had been using your stroller because you'd walk a block or two and then say you were tired. But now you have no problem walking the entire way. (I like walking with you better, because I can hold your hand and talk to you more easily.)

Then this morning, I was taking a load of clothes out of the washer and you asked if you could help me. I said you could help me fold the pile of hand towels on my bed, thinking it would just be a task to keep you busy and that I would have to properly fold them when you were done playing. Much to my surprise, you do actually know how to fold towels! After I'd put the clothes in the dryer, I walked into my bedroom to see a small pile of perfectly folded towels! I watched in amazement as you took a towel, carefully spread it out into a square on the bed, folded it in half, folded it in half again and then placed it neatly on the pile of towels you had already folded. What the what?! Apparently, folding is one of the fine motor skills your teacher taught you at school and I had had no idea. I told you that you were doing an excellent job and asked you if you wanted this to be your job from now on. You enthusiastically said yes!

If that weren't enough, you made your own peanut butter sandwich for the first time today at lunch. I gave you a butter knife and you spread the peanut butter perfectly on the bread before folding it in half. You even told me the butter knife looks like a cake spreader. I asked you where you learned about cake spreaders and you said, "Molly Yeh told me." Haha!

And then at night, you were looking at your school yearbook. All of your classmates self-portraits are on the cover with their names written underneath them. You were looking at Sana's and said, "S A N A. Sana!" You read the name Sana! Color me SUPER impressed with all of your accomplishments today! You were impressed, too, and even told me, "When you and Daddy go out, can you tell GongGong and PoiPoi not to come [babysit]? Because I can take care of myself." Hahahaha! Okay, okay, one thing at a time, little man!

Love,
Mom

All the Kisses

Dear Sawyer,

Sweet thing you said to me today: "You get all the kisses because I love you so much."

Sweet thing you did for me today: You put your hand on my arm and said, "I'm going to take all of your cold away. I'm going to take care of you."

Love,
Mom

Goodnight Kisses

Dear Sawyer,

Last night, we were cuddling in bed and I kissed you a couple times on your forehead. You were already beginning to drift off to sleep but you still managed to say quietly, "Thank you for the kisses, Mama." Anytime, sweetheart, anytime!

Love,
Mom

You're Four Years Old!

Dear Sawyer,

For your class birthday party yesterday, I made a photo collage with pictures of you from over the past four years. When your teacher looked at it, she said she could see that you have always been a happy little boy--and you really have been! You already started cracking sweet little smiles when you were just two weeks old and you haven't stopped smiling and laughing since! Your giggles are the best and I especially love it when you find something so funny, you cover your mouth as you laugh.

Your Chinese name is actually Lok Lok, which translated into English is basically "Happy Happy," so PoiPoi could not have picked a more apt name for you! You have your sad times and your grumpy times and your angry times like anyone else but for the most part, you are so full of joy. We were having lunch at a restaurant last week and while you were eating your calamari, you were also wiggling back and forth in your chair and dancing to the songs playing over the sound system. You are happy even when you are sitting on the toilet and often break out into song while simultaneously going #2! And speaking of the toilet, potty humor also gives you great joy--you seriously crack up if someone makes fart noises or even just says the word fart. *sigh*

In addition to being the happiest kid in the world, you are also the sweetest. Your favorite teacher is Miss Keira and you often pick flowers to give to her while we're walking to school. When Daddy was mad at GuhGaw the other day for not listening, you ran over to Daddy and hugged him to make him feel better. And you are super sweet to me all of the time. Some examples:

- When you wake up in the morning and groggily walk around looking for me, you immediately start beaming when you find me. (If you see Daddy first and he tries to hug you, you push him away and keep looking for me!)

- You always look so happy when I pick you up from school. One time when you saw me at dismissal, you threw your arms up in the air and shouted, "Yaaaaay!"

- You were playing at the playground last week when you suddenly stopped running around the little hill you were on and ran over to me. You hugged me and said, "Mommy, I love you! You're the best mommy ever."

- When I'm lying down in bed, you often cover me with the blanket and say, "I take care of you."

- Every Sunday, we watch Molly Yeh's cooking show on Food Network together and you always smile at me and say, "I like watching Molly Yeh with you." (And because we watch a lot of food shows together, you have started describing your food when you eat: "It's so salty and crunchy and good." I love it!)

- At your school Mother's Day tea party, you told everyone that the thing you like to do with me is cook with me.

- You also learned a special song for the tea party and sing it often at home: "I have a person that I love and Mommy is her name-o! M Y M M O!" (Haha, so we have to work on your spelling a little.)

- You tell me, "You're my friend and my mama."

It has been amazing to see how you have grown this past year. You can get dressed and undressed by yourself. You can unscrew a water bottle cap and easily drink out of the bottle. You can brush your own teeth. You are really good at tracing lines. You are more interested in drawing and doing workbooks. You can write the letters T, I and O. You are starting to sound out words and say things like, "Banana starts with B!" When you can't tell what a word starts with, you ask me. And this last one is sad for me: You have started calling me "Mommy" more often instead of the more babyish "Mama."

Other aspects about you remain unchanged. You still love playing with cars and trucks, watching Team Umizoomi and reading Elephant & Piggie books. You are still a fan of PJ Masks, ABC Mouse and the Backstreet Boys. Your favorite foods are "nut nuts" (you like all of them but pistachios are #1), diced peach cups and "waterlemon." You have a big sweet tooth and will eat chocolate anything. You still like to occasionally pretend that you are a baby, babbling and asking to be held like one. You still like to pretend you are a kitten or baby dinosaur and have me pretend to be your mama cat or mama dinosaur. You still like to hold my hands while you fall asleep next to me. And you still make me laugh every day with the silly things you do. One day, you asked me to look at your "cool pose" and then leaned against the wall with one hand, put one foot behind the other and put your other hand on your hip. So cute!

You are also still really responsible for a kid your age--just last week, you didn't make it to the toilet in time and peed all over the bathroom floor. I threw down some paper towels and before I could even bend over, you did and started wiping up your own pee. When I put you in the tub, you took your clothes and began to scrub and rinse them under the running faucet. Sometimes your older siblings spill something and then just stare at the spill without doing anything, so I am very impressed that my youngest takes the initiative to clean up his own messes!

My baby bear is 4 today. Happy birthday, sweetie! I love you super much!

Love,
Mom

The Right Restaurant

Dear Sawyer,

One of the cutest things about you is how you mispronounce words and it's always bittersweet when you learn to say those words correctly. We were having lunch at a bagel shop yesterday when you asked me, "Why are we in a restaurant?" Then you gasped and said, "I know how to say 'restaurant'! I can say it now!" Up until yesterday, you had always pronounced it "resta-not." You were so happy and proud of yourself for finally saying the word the right way . . . and I was a little sad since it meant you had grown up that much more. You still say "waterlemons," though, so at least I still have that!

Love,
Mom

Bathroom Tip

Dear Sawyer,

You were on the potty tonight when you told me, "Mommy, when you push your penis down, it helps you push your butt down." Ummm, okay. Words of wisdom from my almost-4-year-old.

Love,
Mom

Wrong JoJo

Dear Sawyer,

You asked me who is coming to your birthday party, so I started listing names.

Me: Ellie, Bernie, JoJo--
You (excitedly): JoJo Siwa?!?

Um, no, not that JoJo, haha! I hope you aren't too disappointed!

Love,
Mom

Sawyer's Song

Dear Sawyer,

I was doing housework this morning and you were playing by yourself in your room. When I came upstairs, I heard you singing this original Sawyer song:

"I love my mom and dad so much! I love my mom and dad soooo muuuuuch! I want to play with them! I just want to plaaaay just because I want to plaaaaay with them because I love my mommy and daddy so much! I love my mommy and daddy so much! So much! That I just want to play with theeeeem so so much! I'm cleaning my truck. His name is Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah. I love my mommy and daddy so much!"

So. Awesome.

Love,
Mom

Super Sweet

Dear Sawyer,

I was in bed last night and Daddy was laying next to me on my right side and you were laying next to me on my left side. I was facing Daddy and you asked, "Can you look at me? I want to see your beautiful face."

Today, my stomach was hurting and I was resting on the couch. You gingerly climbed onto the couch next to me and hugged just my upper body so you wouldn't touch my stomach. You said, "I hope you feel better soon. You're beautiful. I'm going to protect you."

*melt*

Love,
Mom

3D Vision

Dear Sawyer,

We were reading one of your favorite books, Harold and the Purple Crayon, at bedtime and we were at the page where Harold draws lots of buildings with windows in an attempt to find his window. Harold makes the buildings two-dimensional, which is something I never thought twice about until tonight. You asked, "Why he draw the buildings flat? Then they fall over." Daddy was in the room, too, and we were both super impressed by your super sharp insight. Our little genius!

Love,
Mom

Master Charmer

Dear Sawyer,

You have always been a great hugger but now you give what we have named "super Sawyer hugs"--I pick you up and you hug me tightly with your arms while also wrapping your legs tightly around my torso. The embrace is so tight that I can let go of you and you will still be hanging on to my body. Super Sawyer hug!

You always give awesome hugs and you always say the sweetest things. Last night, I was laying next to you in your bed and you were staring off into space with a blank expression on your face. You noticed me looking at you and I asked you what you had been thinking about. You flashed your million-dollar smile at me and said, "I was thinking about you and how you're the only one that I love." I'm pretty sure you *weren't* thinking about that but wow! Like the line from your all-time favorite song, "Uptown Funk," you're "smoother than a fresh jar of Skippy!"

Love,
Mom

Call Interrupted

Dear Sawyer,

I was on the phone with my doctor's office when you ran into my room and screamed, "I need to POOP!" Hahaha! Mom life.

Love,
Mom

Morning Hugs

Dear Sawyer,

You got out of bed at 7:30am this morning and sleepily shuffled down the hallway toward me. You hugged me with half-open eyes and asked, "Uppee?" (That's what you ask when you want me to pick you up.) I asked you why you woke up so early, especially since you don't have to go to school today. You replied, "I woke up early so that I could hug you and Daddy." Not a bad reason! :-)

Love,
Mom

Little Stylist

Dear Sawyer,

When you want to play with my hair, you stand behind me and say, "Can I make your hair?" When I say you can, you often hold my hair straight up in the air, giggle and say, "You're like Poppy!" (from Trolls) You're so cute!

Love,
Mom

Professional Hugger

Dear Sawyer,

Two sweet things you said today:

1) After you woke up from your nap, I asked you what you wanted to do. You said, "Cuddle." So we went back to your bed and did!

2) You were hanging out with me in the kitchen while I was chopping broccoli for dinner. You said, "Your job is to cook dinner. My job is to hug people." Then you gave me a big hug.

Never lose your sweetness!

Love,
Mom

Called Out

Dear Sawyer,

Your teacher invites parents, grandparents and older siblings to be "Mystery Readers," where they surprise your class and read a book to everyone. JieJie wants to be one, so I emailed your teacher to ask if she could go in next week. You asked me about it yesterday and I said your teacher hadn't emailed me back yet. When we saw her after school today, she told me that you had gone up to her in class this afternoon and said, "My mommy emailed you but you didn't email her back." We both thought it was hilarious that you had called out your teacher like that! Hahaha!

Love,
Mom

Medicine Man

Dear Sawyer,

Out of all my kids, you are the only one who asks for medicine! GuhGaw caught a viral infection a few days ago so he has been taking Advil and when you started coughing a little this morning, you asked, "Can I have cough medicine?" I told you to finish your breakfast first and as soon as you took the last bite, you called out, "Can I have cough medicine now?" And whenever I give you cough syrup, you always eagerly eat it right off the spoon. GuhGaw gags and insists I mix the medicine in orange juice but you love the flavor plain! That makes my job easier!

Love,
Mom

A Little Off the Top

Dear Sawyer,

You are in dire need of a haircut but I haven't had the time nor the desire to take you to the barbershop (temperatures have been and are going to continue to be bitterly cold so I just want to hibernate at home; ugh, winter). Your bangs have been constantly in your eyes, though, so I trimmed them tonight just to make you more comfortable. When you saw your trim in the mirror later tonight, you said, "I look brand-new." Aww! I asked you if you liked your new haircut and you said, "I like it but I don't like it." Huh? "I like seeing you but I don't like the style." Haha, I am no hair stylist so I don't blame you!

Love,
Mom

The Nose Knows

Dear Sawyer,

We ordered Szechuan food for dinner tonight and after Daddy took the bag from the delivery person, you came into the living room and told me, "Daddy bought Chinese food. I know because I 'mell that delicious China 'mell." Hahahaha! Good nose detective work!

Love,
Mom

Triple Laughs

Dear Sawyer,

Three times you made me laugh today:

1) I fell asleep after I turned off my alarm this morning (you were all off from school last week and it has been soooooo hard getting up before dawn this week) but you were awake and you came into my room and sternly told me, "Mommy, everybody is awake. You need to get up." And then you turned around and walked out of the room. Yes, sir!

2) Later on in the morning, you were using the bathroom and I was waiting in my room when you shouted, "Mommy! Did you hear that? I peed and pooped at the same time!" Haha, thank you for that news update!

3) We were looking at pictures you made at school yesterday. There was one that said "For Daddy," one that said "For Mommy," one "For Paw Paw" and a fourth "For Gong Gong." I asked you if you had told your teacher what Paw Paw and Gong Gong mean. You said, "Yes, and I also told Ms. Kiera that Paw Paw and Gong Gong fight a lot." Hahaha! There are no secrets when you have a toddler!

Love,
Mom

Stoic Sawyer

Dear Sawyer,

Last night, you and Daddy were in Daddy's office and you were touching the underside of his desk. Unbeknownst to Daddy, there was a sharp piece of wood underneath the desk and you cut your thumb on it. In fact, Daddy didn't even realize you had cut your finger until the two of you started walking over to JieJie's room and Daddy looked down and saw blood trailing down from your thumb to your palm. You hadn't said a word or even made a sound and Daddy said he was more panicked than you were! You were just looking calmly at your injured hand and touching the blood with your finger. Daddy cleaned you up and gave you a Paw Patrol Band-Aid and your thumb looked a little bruised today but the cut didn't bother you at all, even when you were eating or washing your hands. My tough little guy!

Love,
Mom

The Whole Package

Dear Sawyer,

For the past few months, you were telling me a couple times a day, "You're beautiful." That, of course, made me feel so special every time you said it but now you have upped the ante and tell me a few times a day, "You're beautiful. And smart." Then you follow it with your I-know-I'm-super-cute-and-charming smile where you smile and scrunch up your whole face and oooh, you are so sweet and delicious!

Love,
Mom

All In

Dear Sawyer,

Eight minutes is no longer good enough for you. Now when I tell you that you can read or play or stay in the bath for 8 more minutes, you reply, "Not 8 minutes, I want all the minutes."

:-)

Love,
Mom

Silly Monkey

Dear Sawyer,

You have many little mannerisms that are so charming and endearing. Among them:

1) Dinner-time conversations can get a little chaotic because we have five people who all want to talk about their day. GuhGaw and JieJie often interrupt or talk over whoever is speaking but if someone is talking and you want to say something, you raise your hand and don't speak until I "call" on you. So polite!

2) You say things like "I'm not quite sure" and "a [of] course!"

3) Whenever I say thank you to you, you chirp back, "Welcome!"

4) You pronounce "tummy ache" like "stummy ache."

5) You like to share your snacks with squirrels so on the way home from school, I often see you pouring a few cheddar bunnies or roasted chickpeas out of your snack cup onto the sidewalk on purpose. Or you will take a bite of rice cake and then spit a few pieces out onto the ground. When I ask you to stop doing that, you reply, "I'm feeding the squirrels!" It's cute when we're outside but not cute when we're at home and you purposely drop food on the dining room floor and tell me that you're "feeding the spiders."

6) When you do something wrong and you know it, you instantly apologize because you know how important apologies are. The other day, you spilled your milk while I was in the living room and you ran over and told me, "I'm sorry I was playing and spilled my milk." I replied, "You spilled your milk?" Then you said, "I said 'sorry.' When you make a mistake, it's okay if you apologize."

7) You love apples and carrot sticks and bite them with such vigor. You make such satisfied crunching noises when you eat them!

8) You really like watching Curious George and when George causes a commotion or gets into a mess, it cracks. You. UP. There was one episode where he was making a car wash for his toy cars and he accidentally sprayed the hose upward and hit a squirrel in the face with water. You thought it was the most hilarious thing ever and laughed uncontrollably for several minutes while bouncing up and down on your butt on the couch and squeezing your cheeks together. When you get like that, I could watch you watching George all day!

Love,
Mom

BFFs

Dear Sawyer,

Daddy and you were having an argument tonight and it went like this:

You: Mama is my best friend!
Daddy: No, Mama is my best friend!
You: No, Mama is my best friend!
Daddy: Nuh-uh, she's my best friend!

And so on. Best argument I ever had to listen to!

Love,
Your best friend

Bigger Is Better

Dear Sawyer,

When I tucked you into bed tonight, you were holding a Power Ranger PEZ dispenser and I told you that you couldn't sleep with it because it is too small. You replied, "You're big. Can I sleep with you?" So smart and insightful! But the answer was no :-)

Love,
Mom

Girl Crazy

Dear Sawyer,

Funny things you said recently:

- "I'm going to marry Ms. Keira, Ella, Mila and Athena. How many is that?" Um, three too many, you little player!

- You fell down on the way home from school yesterday and used your hand to break your fall. PoiPoi asked you if you were okay and you replied matter-of-factly, "Yeah. I'm tough."

- You and JieJie were fighting over a stuffed narwhal and you came into my room to complain about your sister. "JieJie took my narwal! She not being nice! Ugh, whatever." Your "Ugh, whatever" was so full of disdain and had such an "I am so over it" tone to it and it was so adorable!

Sweet thing you said at bedtime tonight:

- When I asked you if you wanted your music box or night light on, you said, "No, I only want to spend time wis you."

I love you so much, sweetie!

Love,
Mom

Eight Is Great

Dear Sawyer,

When JieJie picks a random number, she always goes with 1,003:

"I read for 1,003 hours."
"I haven't had dessert in 1,003 days."

When it comes to units of time, your magic number is 8. When you are taking a bubble bath and I tell you that you can stay in the bath for one more minute, you say, "No, 8 minutes." If I say we have to leave for school in 5 minutes, you reply, "No, 8 minutes." Sometimes this backfires because I will say that you can play for 15 more minutes and you say, "No, 8 minutes."

If you are requesting several of something, though, you always request three because, as you explain, "I'm 3."

"I want 3 pretzels because I'm 3."
"Can I have 3 cars because I'm 3?"
"I will give you 3 kisses because I'm 3."

The flip side to that last one is that after you give me those 3 kisses, you sometimes state that I have to give you 37 kisses because I'm 37. I oblige . . . but it takes awhile!

Love,
Mom

Kiss and Make Up

Dear Sawyer,

Oh, the crumbs! Every time you and your siblings eat a meal or snack, there are crumbs EVERYWHERE. You could eat a bowl of applesauce and still manage to create a blanket of crumbs under the dining table somehow. This morning's breakfast was no exception, so I spent several minutes vacuuming up the resulting debris. Then I went upstairs to use the bathroom and when I came back downstairs, there were pieces of bread everywhere from the Hawaiian roll you had been snacking on. I got annoyed because I had just cleaned the floor and you had obviously not eaten the roll with your chin over the plate like I had told you to do. You could tell I was exasperated when I put you in my lap to help you eat the rest of the roll so you started kissing me very gently all over my face. I asked you what you were doing and you replied, "My kisses make you happy? So now you not mad anymore?" Hahaha! Well played, little man!

Love,
Mom

A Bang-Up Job

Dear Sawyer,

My bangs were bothering me tonight so I clipped them up with a hair clip, which I don't usually do. You immediately noticed, smiled and said, "Mama, you look beautiful." Night. Made.

Love,
Mom

Strong With It

Dear Sawyer,

Two things that made me smile:

1) You managed to carry JieJie's doll crib all the way from your room to her room last night. The thing is made of plastic and pretty light but it's longer than you are tall, so I was impressed. When I asked you incredulously if you carried it by yourself, you replied, "Yes, I be strong with it."

2) The radio was on in your room and I saw you dancing. You were jumping around and moving your shoulders to the beat. Your big move is laying on the ground and sticking your leg all the way up in the air, like a breakdancer. So cute!

Love,
Mom

Lots of Love

Dear Sawyer,

I was cuddling with you at bedtime tonight when you whispered to me, "Mama, I have something to tell you. I love you, then Miss Keewa [Miss Kiera, one of your teachers], then Mila and then Ella." The latter two are your classmates. I'm glad I'm still first!

Love,
Mom

Boo Who?

Dear Sawyer,

Earlier tonight, you were playing in your room by yourself while Daddy, GuhGaw, JieJie and I were in JieJie's room reading together. You thought Daddy was in his office, though--the four of us heard you run into Daddy's office and then shout, "Boo!" But surprise, there was no one in there! Then you ran into JieJie's room and saw us and we all laughed so hard. So funny!

Love,
Mom

Singing Sawyer

Dear Sawyer,

Awhile ago, I was watching an interview with Reese Witherspoon and she said that she believes that people sing when their hearts are just so full of joy, it comes out in song. If that's true, I am glad that I always hear you singing! So often you are playing in your room or just walking around the house singing whatever song that has popped into your head. For the past month, it was a mash-up of the holiday songs you learned for your school's holiday concert. Our house was filled with the sounds of you singing a few lines from each song, sometimes on repeat: "Twinkle twinkle Hanukkah lights! Shining bright for eight long nights! Rockin' around the Christmas tree, have a happy holiday! You will get a sentimental feeling when you hear! Voices singing 'Let's be jolly! Deck the halls with balls of holly!' The red candle shines, the red candle shines, when it's time for Kwanzaa, the red candle shines!"

I heard "The Wheels on the Bus" several times this week and this morning, you were singing "The itchy, itchy spider went up the water spout." I love it! May your heart always be so full of joy that it comes out in song.

Love,
Mom