Peter is FOUR

I really can't believe that Peter is 4 already.  It seems like the other day that I went into the hospital and had him just 3 hrs after check-in.

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I actually STARTED this post ON his birthday - and here we are a week later and I still haven't finished it.  Even better?  Peter hasn't stopped talking about his birthday.

We try to pray at dinner every evening. I actually have the kids do it more than we do it.  I figure it gives them practice.  Peter usually eagerly volunteers and prays first.  And normally he will go through his little prayer that they do at school (including the attention getter they use to calm the kids down).  It goes something like this...

Open and close them (opening/closing hands with the words)
Open and close them
Give our hands a clap clap clap (clapping along with the word "clap")

Open and close them
Open and close them
[Fold our hands just like that] This is what it is supposed to be, but Peter actually just repeats the "give our hands a clap clap clap" LOL

Ruth does the motions - as a matter of fact, for awhile when we said "Let's pray" she would start doing the "open and close them" motions.

Then the prayer is a song.  Here are the words:

Thank you Jesus for our food,
For our food, for our food
Thank you Jesus for our food,
Thank you Jesus
Amen

Well this pas week Peter had moved on from singing the canned prayer to creating his own.  And each night he has been thanking God for his birthday.

While I find this pretty sweet...and funny...I also think it is a little ironic.  For Peter's actual birthday we had a bit of a meltdown due to a busy day and no nap.

For his day off he wanted to make the most of it - so we ate breakfast early at Burger King (I'll share pictures later) and then hit up Chuck E Cheese.  I hate Chuck E Cheese.  With a passion.  And after some reflection, I think what I hate is Chuck E Cheese crowded.  When it isn't crowded, it really isn't so bad.

We arrived at 9:30 to find it didn't open until 10.  WalMart was across the street so we went over there to mess around and waste some time.  I should have known better, but we did visit the toy isle.  Peter fell in love with a different storm trooper gun.  He exclaimed he really really really wanted it.  Of course, we hadn't gotten it for his birthday and I did tell him that.  He also saw a Sith mask that he really loved.  (We got him the storm trooper mask, which up to this point he really really really wanted.)  I also told him he did NOT get the sith mask for his birthday.  I didn't want him to be disappointed.

The great thing about going to Chuck E Cheese on a Friday when it first opens is that NO ONE is there.  I actually had a pretty good time with Peter.  I let him run wild and do whatever he wanted.  Good ol' Chuck even came out and danced with Peter.  Peter loved it at first, but then got all shy.  So I helped him dance.  Peter was rewarded with a huge wad of tickets.  They normally throw them in the air and let kids go wild over them - so I was grateful they didn't do that this time - but just let Peter take the wad.  I also thought it was neat they did that, even though Peter was the ONLY kid there.

Around noon we left and picked up some lunch for William.  (He was home with Ruth - who had been home all week with a staph infection.)  Peter was not hungry and felt like bowling.  I do have this picture handy - and even though it is taken with my crappy cell phone I love it.

Peter dancing while he waited for his ball to creep down the lane.

We played a few games and then left.  Peter insisted he STILL was not hungry but I was.  So we went to good ol' Freddy's for lunch.  He was tickled we got to sit at the "tall" tables (the kind that are bar stool height).  We chatted about everything and nothing all at once.  It was absolutely delightful.  And of course - we had ice cream.

At this point I thought he'd be tired and want to go home.  NOPE.  Not my Peter.  It was also at this point I realized how alike me he is.  He's pretty much a go go go type person.  Rebekah?  Well she likes a fair amount of "go", but she also enjoys lounging around at home - like her Dad. 

So off we went to the zoo.  Peter was efficient.  He wanted to visit the zoo AND the park, so he went to the playground AT the zoo.  Talk about multitasking!  I actually think the highlight of his trip was seeing some gorilla poop.  He was pretty fascinated with it.  Honestly, with the placement of poop (right up against the viewing area), it may have been entertaining to watch.  I could just imagine what was going through that gorillas head.  "Oh, you find THAT interesting...well watch this..."

At this point school was out so we went to pick up Rebekah.  Peter found his presents sitting on the table when we got home.  At first he loved them - but then when he remembered the gun and mask from that morning (combined with the exhausting day), we had a bit of meltdown.  It was a teaching point for Peter.  Be grateful for what you have.  It was the first time I have ever had to put a kid in timeout on their birthday.  (I don't do so lightly on a day like that!)

I think he had a pretty good birthday - especially since he is still thanking Jesus for it. 

A couple more funny Peter stories.  Peter is learning about transportation right now.  On our way to pick up Rebekah the other day we were discussing the car.  I really wish I could remember what we were discussing.  All of a sudden he got all excited and pointed and squealed "HEY LOOK MAMA!  LOOK LOOK LOOK!"  He was pointing to a motorcycle.  I thought he was going to talk about how it was red and looked like his Granny and Grandpa's motorcycle.  Nope.  "THAT IS PRANSPERTATION!" I laughed and said "It is? Can you tell me what you are learning about transportation?"  Then he paused a moment in thoughtful reflection and said "HEY!!!!  THIS CAR IS PRANSPERTATION!!"  The little light bulb over his head at that moment was absolutely adorable.  I love observing them learn and put things together.  I also love his pronunciation of the word. :)

One more Peter funny.  The director of the daycare also happens to be the pastor's wife.  I'm not normally such a fan of this kind of nepotism, but in this case it has been a good thing for the center.  We have been there long enough and we chat enough that I call her friend.

Anyway, she emailed me the other day with a funny.  They do bible time each day.  She normally goes around to the classrooms and does it with the kids except on Wednesdays.  On those days her husband, the pastor, does it.  They actually take a "field trip" to the chapel portion of the building and sit in the pews. 

On Thursday, I received the following email from her:

Peter asked me a question today during Bible Time.

We were talking about Jesus changing water into wine with his almighty power.
I don't think I ever mentioned God - we talked about Mary his mother and Jesus starting his work on earth,etc.

After Bible Time Peter asked me with all sweetness and seriousness.................

 

"Did you know that Jesus is God?"

Awesome!!

We do talk a lot about this and I thought it was adorable.  I also thought it was highly ironic, just in the context of who he was talking too.

And I think that sums up Peter at 4.  He's head strong, loving and fierce.  He loves his family and is very protective of them.  He takes his "big brother" duties very seriously.  Ruth is just starting at the daycare center.  (This is her first week...would have been second if it had not been for the staph infection.)  Yesterday she had a little trouble seeing Peter across the fence and NOT being able to go to him.  (There are two playgrounds...one for the bigger kids and one for the smaller kids.  They have a wrought iron fence in between.)  Peter's teacher told him to stay away from the fence because he was making Ruth sad.  There wasn't much more explanation than that.  When I picked him up that day he was very sad about this.  So I explained that Ruth was having a little trouble seeing him but not being able to go over and play with him.  He was OK with this explanation.  Then a few minutes later he says "HEY!  I have an idea!  Maybe I can go to her and play with her?"  I told him to suggest this to his teachers next time.

While being thoughtful is not always his forte, he does try and I appreciate the effort it takes for him (hey, he likes what he likes and he wants what he wants).  I also appreciate that he expends this effort on his sisters.  All I've ever really asked is that my children grow up to love God and each other.