My dear son is 4 today...I can't believe it!! Four years ago today God changed Ryan's & my life dramatically and beautifully! Elijah is such a joy to us, and we are grateful every day for him.
All about Eli James at 4 years old...
Eli is a bright, happy, sweet, mild-mannered boy. It's fun to think back on him over the years and see what has changed and what hasn't. Eli has always been very laid back and content, timid in new situations and shy around new people. He has always been a rule-follower with a very sweet temperment. While all of that is still true at age 4, he is definitely coming into his own now, too. We've noticed him really coming out of his shell over the past couple of months and is getting more and more comfortable talking with other adults. He loves telling his friends stories, whether it's about something he did, saw, or received. At his birthday party yesterday we were really proud of him saying thank you to each of his friends as he opened his gifts; until very recently he always asked Ryan or me to help him by saying it together. It's really amazing how much independence and confidence he has gained just in the past couple of weeks.
He is a smart boy who loves to learn. He looks forward to preschool each Friday and is excited about going three days a week next year. He loves writing and counting, is learning some sight words, and is recently very interested in learning the Spanish words for things (thank you, Handy Manny!). He loves to play games, and is remarkable at puzzles.
His interests still definitely include trains (especially after his recent train trip with Ryan; his first real train ride!), airplanes, cars & trucks, and construction equipment. His favorite character is Handy Manny (and his tools, of course!), with Lightning McQueen (and friends) and Bob the Builder (and his machines) following closely. His most favorite thing to do is ride his bike and his scooter! I realize I forgot to post about his recent scooter aquisition; he has been wanting one for months and recently found a great Hot Wheels scooter at a garage sale. At another sale the same day, Dada got a scooter, too, and the two of them love riding together! Eli adores being outside, and especially loves having otter pops on the deck when it's sunny outside.
Eli's best friend is still Zoe, but he is really bonding with some of his peers lately. It's so fun to watch him play with other kids and especially entertaining to listen to their conversations! He still adores his baby sister, and loves teaching her things. There's not much he does himself without explaining it to her as he goes (i.e., "Abby, this is how you brush your teeth: first you put some toothpaste on the toothbrush..."). As much as he loves Abigail, we've discovered that he really thrives when he gets special attention from us. Ryan and I really enjoy our special "Eli time" during the hour between her bedtime and his.
Eli's laughter is magical, especially the wild reckless-abandon giggles elicited by tickling him! He loves reading books and talking about what's going on in the stories and pictures. He asks a lot of questions, many of which are "why?" He is the master staller, especially at bedtime, and our evenings with him always end with "Can I ask just two more questions?" And after the two questions, "I will ask you all the rest of my questions in the morning." He cracks us up! Not just with that, but will all of his funny antics, stories, questions, games, etc. He truly is a funny kid!
Well, I could really go on and on about my sweet boy, but I need to save some room for all the photos I want to share today!
Eli at birth...
All about Eli James at 4 years old...
Eli is a bright, happy, sweet, mild-mannered boy. It's fun to think back on him over the years and see what has changed and what hasn't. Eli has always been very laid back and content, timid in new situations and shy around new people. He has always been a rule-follower with a very sweet temperment. While all of that is still true at age 4, he is definitely coming into his own now, too. We've noticed him really coming out of his shell over the past couple of months and is getting more and more comfortable talking with other adults. He loves telling his friends stories, whether it's about something he did, saw, or received. At his birthday party yesterday we were really proud of him saying thank you to each of his friends as he opened his gifts; until very recently he always asked Ryan or me to help him by saying it together. It's really amazing how much independence and confidence he has gained just in the past couple of weeks.
He is a smart boy who loves to learn. He looks forward to preschool each Friday and is excited about going three days a week next year. He loves writing and counting, is learning some sight words, and is recently very interested in learning the Spanish words for things (thank you, Handy Manny!). He loves to play games, and is remarkable at puzzles.
His interests still definitely include trains (especially after his recent train trip with Ryan; his first real train ride!), airplanes, cars & trucks, and construction equipment. His favorite character is Handy Manny (and his tools, of course!), with Lightning McQueen (and friends) and Bob the Builder (and his machines) following closely. His most favorite thing to do is ride his bike and his scooter! I realize I forgot to post about his recent scooter aquisition; he has been wanting one for months and recently found a great Hot Wheels scooter at a garage sale. At another sale the same day, Dada got a scooter, too, and the two of them love riding together! Eli adores being outside, and especially loves having otter pops on the deck when it's sunny outside.
Eli's best friend is still Zoe, but he is really bonding with some of his peers lately. It's so fun to watch him play with other kids and especially entertaining to listen to their conversations! He still adores his baby sister, and loves teaching her things. There's not much he does himself without explaining it to her as he goes (i.e., "Abby, this is how you brush your teeth: first you put some toothpaste on the toothbrush..."). As much as he loves Abigail, we've discovered that he really thrives when he gets special attention from us. Ryan and I really enjoy our special "Eli time" during the hour between her bedtime and his.
Eli's laughter is magical, especially the wild reckless-abandon giggles elicited by tickling him! He loves reading books and talking about what's going on in the stories and pictures. He asks a lot of questions, many of which are "why?" He is the master staller, especially at bedtime, and our evenings with him always end with "Can I ask just two more questions?" And after the two questions, "I will ask you all the rest of my questions in the morning." He cracks us up! Not just with that, but will all of his funny antics, stories, questions, games, etc. He truly is a funny kid!
Well, I could really go on and on about my sweet boy, but I need to save some room for all the photos I want to share today!
Eli at birth...
Eli at 1...
Eli at 2...
Eli at 3...
Eli at 3...
Eli at 4...
Happy 4th Birthday, Elijah!!
Happy Birthday, Eli! So fun to watch you grow!
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