{4.5}

What does {4.5} look like for Jay? 

 Frustration

 Joy 

 Concentration 

 Love 

 Limits 

 Testing 

 Learning 

 Growing

 He's understanding so much more... Which leads to even more questions. 

And wondering "How far can I go?" And the need for parental consistency increases.

  Then he sees: This is how far

 Not an inch further 

 Sometimes mommy and daddy get really tired 

 And the need for constancy in the consistency wears them down... 

 But they see that for Jay, at {4.5} they must make the lines very clear 

  This is okay This is not 

 Boundaries speaking love to this {4.5} year old 

 In three weeks Jay will enter a new stage in life 

 One that involves preschool 

 Teachers 

 Playmates 

 Learning 

 Time away from mommy 

 Like he has never had Bittersweet... 

 He loves feeling his baby brother kick 

 He waits And asks "When is he coming out of there?" 

 Every day 

 And he observes "Baby Malachi is sure getting big mom - I really think he needs to come out!" 

 And we smile

 He loves airplanes 

 Like really obsessed loves 

 He loves rockets H

e has inherited his mommy's love of sweets.... Always "can I have ice cream?" 

 "Can I have a cookie?" 

 "Can we make donuts" 

 But he also loves fresh fruits and veggies 

 Loving Grandma and Grandpa's numerous fresh garden treats 

 He loves to swim and completed level one in the red cross Learn to Swim program this summer 

 We are so proud of him 

 He also seems to have gotten mommy's love of creativity 

 Always asking for glue 

 And tape 

 And markers 

 And ribbon 

 And paper 

 And embellishments 

 Making so many masterpieces 

 But trumping all other loves Is the hero love 

 The biggest love right now... Daddy 

 If daddy is near, Jay will be less than 2 inches from him 

 Touching him somehow 

 His hand through the carpenter strap on daddy's shorts 

 Or holding daddy's pinky finger 

 Or daddy's hand 

 Or wrapped around daddy's leg 

 If daddy finishes supper and leaves the table Jay is suddenly done with his and running to catch up 

 And Jay is starting to really get that there is an even higher authority than mommy and daddy 

 And that Jesus is loving and kind 

 And that love is offered to him 

 And we pray and wait For more understanding to come... 

 Oh the way he looks when he comes in to our room with excuse after excuse after excuse 

 Not to go to bed 

 That cute "trying not to smile" smile... Oh this love... This is {4.5} for Jay He is {4.5} today