4 Years and 7 Months

I've seen a big change in Rocco over the last month. He's gone from loving trains and cars to being a little football star. Though he's never played on a team, he is a pro when it comes to wrestling around and playing "Fumble" with his daddy. Everywhere we go now he carries this little brown ball with him. It's just his size.

Another all boy thing he's into now is making poot sounds. I'm sure he picked this up from his school peers. Oh the joys of being in school! He puts his arm up to his lips and makes a long flubbing sound. Then, he proceeds with, "Eww! Stink!" Loads of giggles follow. Oh my! When will he outgrow this?

Rocco continues to be very particular about his clothing. He has his favorite play shirts and is very picky about which ones he wears. If he could have his way, he would always wear his GA jersey #24 shirt. Every now and then we do need to wash it. He doesn't seem to get this. He just wants to wear it all the time.

Having a 4 year old is so much fun. He's growing way too fast, and he's already informed us that he will be 5 on his birthday. That's not until another 5 months. I told him I didn't even want to talk about him turning five yet.

Foster Babies and A New Arctic Cat

Depending on what moment you ask Rocco, he will either tell you he loves the babies that are with us or he may tell you he's ready for them to leave. He's been so good to them though, regardless of his mood. I will admit though that he is a little tattler. If any one of them is out of line for any reason, I can count on him to let me know about it. We've had this sweet sibling group for 3 1/2 weeks now. It's probably been the hardest thing Jason and I have ever done; however, there are moments here and therethat remind me it is rewarding.

Because Rocco's done so well in sharing his space and belongings, I thought he deserved a fun toy shopping spree. When the two foster babies went to visit their family, I took him to Toys R Us. When it was just the two of us he said, "Mom, we're having a wonderful time, aren't we?" He does love it when it's just us, and who can blame him? That's all he's known.

On our shopping spree, I bought him a Hot Wheels parking deck. I also got him a new Arctic Cat. I knew he would love it because he has one similar to it that he rides at his nana and granddaddy's. At a birthday party he went to one once, he rode on one for a long time. Being a good "brother/ friend" to these children we have deserves a reward. So I bought this for him. And as usual, he was great about sharing it, too!

Rocco informed me that he was an "excellent driver" and he really was! The babies took turns riding with him. When one rode, the other pushed. They all had to get involved.

Yet Another Great Reason We Like Living In the Country

Rocco and I were riding the four wheeler this afternoon. All of a sudden we spotted a very big turkey running across the hay field next to the cotton crops. We took off as fast as we could and chased that big bird. He outran us. . . so we found some Canada geese to chase next. They flew away to another lake as Rocco and I high fived each other.

4 years and 5 months old

He's been in school for a month now, and he's loving it! He goes to PE, art, music, computer lab, Light span (learning games on computer), library, and recess. One day he came home telling us Cade was his friend, but he was a little bit mean. Within the next week he says this Cade is his best friend. Of course at this age, most of his classmates are his friends. He's actually been to 3 of his school friends' birthday parties.

Riley turned 4

Peyton turned 4

And Ferris turned 4...

The book he has in his lap in the picture above is the first book he checked out at his own school library. It is ShortTrain Long Train. We read it three times tonight. On Friday he gets to check out another one. Friday's are also big days because that is the one day they sell ice cream after lunch.

He's so big. Every day after school, he comes to my classroom and hangs out with the older kids who love to hide in my room (rather than go to afterschool care). He'll write his letters, watch TV, and eat his snack.

I think we've finally got the basics down. 1) Use the potty. 2) Turn in your morning folder. 3) Eat a good breakfast and lunch. . . . well, we're still working on this one.

Big Man on Campus

Everywhere he goes at our school he hears, "Hey, Rocco!" Teachers, principals, small kids, even big fifth graders. They all know the big man on campus; that's because I work at the school he attends and most people have known about the "science teacher's son" since he came home from Vietnam. Most of the time, he just looks at people like, "How do they know my name?" After about a week, I think he's gotten used to it. The after school care kids have always liked coming to my room to "help" me. Now, they enjoy keeping Rocco occupied. After he eats his afternoon snack he asks me, "Now what can I do?" Thankfully, they help me find things for him.

I know so many people have prayed for Rocco's transition to school. I simply give God the glory for how smoothly things have gone. He LOVES recess. His second favorite, he told his dad was . . . recess, too. No, really - he also likes PE. He brags about the fact that he stops when he hears the whistle. (Evidently that's the important thing when you're teaching 20 three and four year old's in gym. . . knowing when to stop.) He thinks it's fun running in there with his friends. I'm sure the gym seems so large to him.

In art, his class just completed self portraits of themselves. I got to look at them all. Pretty funny to see how kids perceive themselves. Rocco was the only one to draw a unibrow over his eyes. Guess he's used to his daddy's and his big eyebrows.

As for computer class, he knows what to do. He's sat in my lap enough in our home office to know how to use a mouse, where the back button is, and what "Favorites" are. The computer teacher said many of the kids had trouble and kept getting stuck during class. Little man in his headphones just kept on going.

The music teacher cracked him and his class up. Our southern, down-to-earth, music teacher from Alabama has some unusual sayings. Rocco picked one up from him. "Well, hush my mouth!"

He has two classroom teachers that are doing a wonderful job with the class. Often I'll see their group going to and from the cafeteria or to another location; Rocco will just stop, put his hand up, and say, "Hey mom!" He's so big. He then keeps walking with his class. (I think they've had to work on him running to the front of the line. Being an only child, he didn't have the grasp of waiting, especially in a line. Now, I think he understands that he actually has to be behind others. Great life lesson!)

And to keep him motivated (you know like to use the potty at school, turn in his morning folder, eat well at lunch - the important stuff) I bought new racecars from Disney's CARS. Every afternoon, he earns one if he meets his goals. It's Thursday and he's earned 3 for the week! We're so proud of our big man on campus!

52 months old

Fifty-two months. That's how old our little boy is now. And here are just a few things that he's into lately.

1) Dinosaurs. He knows every dinosaur in one of his books from home, Dinosaur Train. It's funny to hear such a little person pronounce all those names: T Rex, Diplodocus, Brachiosaurus, Triceratops, and Spinosaurus. Granddaddy aggravates him and tries to confuse him by asking, "Well, where's the Roccosaurus?"

2) And speaking of dinosaurs, Rocco loves to pretend that one is after us. "Hurry! There's a T Rex!" he'll say. We'll have to jump on the bed quickly. Every now and then a shark will be after us, too.

3) He continues to give me lots of loving. Now, after he does so he will say, "Don't tell daddy 'bout that cause he'll say (and he uses a deep voice here) 'That's my loving.'" It's so funny. When I laugh and laugh, he'll say, "Hey, what's so funny guys?" I'll tell him that he's the funny one. He comes back with this reply, "I'm not funny. I'm just an ol' fussy pot!" I don't know where he picked up this term, but he insists that we are all fussy pots. I think it actually means we are all happy.

4) During Sunday service at church one morning, Jason came down from the pulpit area while preaching and walked near the congregation. Rocco turned to me and asked, "Why's daddy off his porch?" Cracked me up! I told Richard, one of our deacons at church, and he said at least he wasn't off his rocker.

5) Just like any other boy, Rocco thinks that poots and burps are funny. We try to teach him proper manners and to say, "Excuse me." The other night at supper, I thought he was choked. Instead, it was a big burp that nearly took his breath. For hours he talked about that big burp. "That was the biggest burp ever!" I told him that even I couldn't burp that big.

Now this next part he came up with on his own - with his witty little sense of humor. If we're talking to him and we say something like, "I would like to do this, but. . . " he says, "Butt? Did you say butt?" He knows the differences in the but(t)s, and he loves to make a joke out of it.

6) This is a big age for Rocco. A stage where I'm having to let go just a little. He just started attending a Sunday School class for the first time without me. I've been his Sunday School teacher since he was old enough to attend one. He did great that first time without me. I was glad, but part of me missed him. And now that he's starting school, I'll have to let go a little more.

Where Did My Baby Go?

How can three and a half years go by so fast? I've tried to document so many events of our little boy's life, hoping that time would go a little slower if I kept up with each little happening. But regardless, I literally turned around a few times and I went from riding to his orphanage to pick him up to preparing to take him to pre K. Part of me is so happy to know I've been blessed to have this beautiful gift to see grow up, but the other half just wants to cry because he's not a baby anymore.

He asked me today, "Mom, why do you call me a baby?" I had to explain to him, just like my mom did to me, that no matter how old or how big he gets, he will always be my baby. Sure, he's a big boy now, but I don't care if he turns 100 one day he'll still be my baby.

I rocked him tonight (Rocco's request). As we cuddled in the rocking chair, I sang him some of the same songs I've sang to him over the last 3 years (I Love You Forever, Mama Told Me So, Jesus Loves Me, Jesus Loves the Little Children, and Ba Ba Bush Ka) and he still felt small in my arms. I cherished that time, trying to take it in and hold it forever in my mind. Please time don't go by so fast. My teary eyes can't take too much more.