I can't believe you're 4! I know #5 is probably supposed to be the biggie, but something about this birthday has felt like "official big boyhood".
Your birthday day began was supposed to begin with swim lessons, but right as we got there the skies opened up and it was cancelled. We think that may have been a result of Blaine's birthday wish coming true. :) We headed to Chicky Way with GG Bon (who was in town), Nana and Papa, and Daddy. Then we had them over for dinner and you got to have PB and Hs and homemade Octonaut cupcakes. This year your big gift from us was an outdoor hot wheels track.
We went with a Splish Splash Bash theme and invited added a few friends this year to play water games in our backyard. The weather for your party day wasn't looking good all week and I even planned an indoor party as a back up. But despite all of my stressing, it turned out to be the perfect hot and sunny day. We had pools and water guns and even a homemade slip and slide with a tarp and soap. Everyone had a great time and we were reminded again of how many people love you both. You're blessed boys!
You both love Octonauts and know more about sea life than I ever will. I am constantly impressed and delighted with your creativity and imaginative play together and all of your new Octonaut toys have only increased it. Pierce is "Peso" the medic penguin and for a long time Blaine was "Kwazii" the pirate cat, but recently turned "Captain Barnacles" since Lukas moved and the position opened up. Your Thomas obsession has dramatically decreased, but Pierce espeically still rotates around to obsessing about a certain train or track every so often. Your train table sure doesn't see the action it used to.
You are both so incredibly smart and constantly amaze me with what you pick up on and easily apply. Pierce, you are so great with numbers, facts, and spatial knowledge. Your mind is a steel trap and sometimes I think you can't get enough knowledge. Given enough time, I have no doubt you could sit down and count to 1000. We can drive somewhere one time and you can remember the way the next time. You are a strong leader and certainly prefer things done your way. You love and thrive with routine, but can quickly melt down if it's broken or you're thrown for a loop. You continue to become more verbal, but still make your funny open mouthed "Pierce noises". You rarely stay put in bed after bedtime and always seem to be able to squeeze a little more pee out.
Blaine, I know we say it a lot but you have such a tender and compassionate heart. I love this about you. You are so attuned to others' feelings and hate to see them hurting. We've worked lately on being generous and on more than one occasion you have volunteered to give a toy you wanted to your brother or let him go first or choose the vitamin color he would prefer. I pray you never lose that! You are so verbal and easily apply new words and phrases all the time. Probably many of them are from me and if I wonder you tell me that's where you learned it. (i.e. "This darn computer" spoken through your headphones at the library yesterday!) You are so athletic and move with a lot of power and grace. You are less interested in sitting still and focusing. You are also very sensitive and sometimes have a hard time snapping out of a bad mood or moving on from a discipline. You love playing with your brother and often look to him for the play scenario or next move. You love your daddy and adoringly ask him to "tell you you a little about his day" many nights over dinner.
I could not be more proud and delighted with the boys you are becoming. You love God and have a better understanding of him than I had even hoped so far. We pray every night for your character and you are already displaying so many wonderful qualities. We love watching you grow and continue to blossom into the boys and men God has planned for you. We love you, Pierce and Blaine!
