Sam turned 4.5 on April 6th and I realized about a month later that I should probably update the blog with what Sam is up to at this age. And then a month after that, I actually got around to doing it! And a few months after that I finally finished it!

Weight and Height: Sam weights about 38-40 lbs and is tall for his age, though I don’t know how tall. He is tall and skinny, just like mommy and daddy at his age!

Sleeping: Sam has basically stopped napping at this point. He still has quiet time in our room from 1:30-3:30 but I can’t remember the last time he actually fell asleep during that time. But even if he doesn’t sleep, I still like him to have that “quiet time.” That’s about the only time during the day that he will happily play by himself and from what I hear, he really uses his imagination! I do wish he would fall asleep a little more often because I can tell he is tired in the afternoons. Whenever we take a longish drive in the afternoon he falls asleep in the car. He and Campbell go to sleep at about 8 and I think ideally Sam would like to sleep in until 8 or later but Campbell often wakes him up a little earlier.

Eating: Sam is a pretty good eater, though he still claims to not like cheese (even though he likes macaroni and cheese, pizza, etc.). We are still really encouraging him to try things and not say things like “yuck” when he doesn’t like something. He does pretty well with that when he’s not cranky!

Reading: Sam is really becoming interested in letters and words. He has started sounding out words and can even read some simple books! His teachers have told me that he does such a good job at circle time and pays super close attention! So cute. Here he is reading a little book I printed out for him (this is what happens when your mother is a reading specialist).

 

Math: Sam is also super interested in numbers lately. He can count quickly up to 110 and just today (during “quiet” time) he shouted down to me that he had just counted to 200–but I haven’t heard that for myself! They also practice counting by 10s at school and counting in Spanish. I love that he is so interested in math!

Behavior: This has been a tough area for us. Sam can be super well behaved and lovely but other times can be quit a handful. It seems like his most common problem is getting very worked up and hyper and then not being able to control himself. He gets especially worked up when playing with friends, which often causes him to be too rough. He also gets SUPER cranky when he is embarrassed.

We have started using 1-2-3 Magic! which has helped a lot. Basically whenever he does something he’s not supposed to we say, that’s 1. If he continues, we say that’s 2. He usually turns his behavior around at that point but if not, we say “that’s 3, time out.” The time outs work really well, if for no other reason than to give us all a reset. We have also been keeping a star chart to encourage good behavior. Whenever we catch him doing something super helpful or sweet, we give him a star. When he gets 30, he gets to pick out a toy. He really likes earning stars and it is a good way for us to remember to notice his good behaviors!

He can also be super sweet and cuddly and loving these days. I don’t want to forget that! My favorite moments are usually in the car when he is asking me questions, telling me about school, or making some random observations about something out his window.

Sibling Dynamics:

For the most part, Sam is a great big brother. He plays with Campbell, teaches her things, helps her do things, and is generally very sweet. He does get a little rough with her which we have been working on. He often hits or pushes her when he is frustrated and almost seems to just be in a habit of it now. He gets to play 30 minutes of video games every weekend so we have started subtracting a minute for every hit. The first week we did this he was down to about 12 minutes by the time the weekend rolled around. But lately he tends to have most of his 30 minutes left. Progress!

I know there is a lot more to say but I feel like if I don’t stop soon, I will never get this posted. I just love, love, love seeing the little boy Sam is growing into. We are constantly amazed by the clever and funny things he says and does. I can’t wait to see what the years bring. We love you Sam!!