The Watson Family: F*O*U*R

Today, Kyle turns 4. It seems such a "kid" age. This past year has been one of substantial growth both in terms of physical characteristics and intellectually. After a brief stall on the height charts, Kyle sprang in inches in a ridiculous short period of time. It appears this girl is following her father's genes in that department.

As for intellectually, Kyle has her distractions but this past few months has begun to really take a liking to preschool. She is thrilled to spell her name and guess what letter certain words start with. At night, she often wants to practice writing various letters. She is drawing more intricate pictures of items that can be recognized. Coloring is now more interesting, although painting is probably more of a fave. We have learned Kyle is very smart but she prefers to do things on her time. This has not always been easy for her task-oriented mother.

Imagination has exploded this year. Kyle will act out long scenarios while in the car, playing with her dollhouse, taking a bath, or just about anywhere. A bread often resembles a boot, camel, or any other item. These detailed acting out sessions provide a glimpse into her life as I hear the names of kids from preschool, her brother, or other events that recently occurred. She loves creating mama and babies from her stuffies. Her blankie has now become Mr. Snake who likes to yell out MAMA as we drive to preschool. This one still startles Kyle's mommy a bit. Mr. Snake also likes to coil up and watch events, read books, and protect various other animals and friends. He lives quite the life. At night he wraps up with Kyle and glowing unicorn. Mr. Snake is pretty special, and I will miss the day when he is once again just a blankie.

Favorite activities include reading, playing with her brother Jack, quiet time with moose, wrestling with daddy, and running. Kyle is in that phase where we do not necessarily walk anywhere. We are a fast unicorn to a jumping kangaroo. She often hops over any line anywhere or has to balance on the edge of a sidewalk. She loves yelling "watch this!" and then doing various forms of dance with a jump or some other twist at the end. The fact someone is willing to stop to watch is her greatest joy. Favorite foods include quesadillas, chicken nuggets, fruit, marshmallow cereal, and milk. This girl still has an aversion to juice and tends to avoid frosting but she loves special treats to share with her dad and snacks. Please do not disturb her snack shelf in the pantry. Cookies are always a special part of lunch on weekends, and she has become quite adept at counting them. I would not necessarily always trust how they are divided. Favorite toys are her dollhouse, balance puzzle, whatever stuffie has her interest at the moment, riding her giraffe, and playing board games.

This year Kyle's intrigue, generosity and love came to the forefront. I am hesitant to believe she did not meet anyone who was not asked a question from their grandma's name to their dog. Many a day has been made from her continual compliments. She wanted to know everything. She also showed her love for others by being a constant helper and wanting everyone to feel included. This girl is a friend to all and her earlier shyness has started to fade away. We can only hope she is always willing to chat up anyone and everyone.

Ten months ago, Kyle became a big sister. She adapted to this new role as easily as anything we encountered. We still remember Jack's first night home where she came running down stairs to solve his crying. A task she tackles with fervor, often busting into his room in the morning to brighten his mood. The reality is -- she can. Kyle is absolutely Jack's favorite person. His face lights up anytime she is close by. It's not hard to understand why given how amazing she is. These two meld well together. There likely will be struggles in the future but Kyle seemed to grasp right away that being a big sister is a big deal. This does not mean she will yell out if he is bothering her or getting into something he is not supposed to. Yet she does not hesitate to bring him into her play or locate some other toy to distract him. Kyle loves her family in one place and is thrilled to have all four of us!