Cory is Four!

(making the traditional birthday banner)

Seriously, the jump from three to four is a tough one for me. Three is still kind of toddler, whereas four, four is kid. Cory has been counting down the days (minutes, seconds) to this birthday since Iain turned five in September, and Cory couldn't figure out why he had to wait so long for his birthday.

But despite the long wait (him) and the wanting to stop time (me), the birthday arrived. Cory is four.

(Cory on the day he was born)

(he's one!)

(he's two!)

(he's three!)

(he's FOUR!)

Cory requested a dinosaur birthday party, so we played dinosaur tag, had a dino-feet relay (yeah, those craft foam feet fell apart three steps in), and dug for dinosaur fossils in the sandbox. There was a dinosaur bone cake (SO easy!), and lots of raw peppers to eat. Which has nothing to do with dinosaurs. Cory just likes them. Lots of friends and family came to celebrate our big boy.

Dear Cory,

Happy birthday, big boy! I can't believe you're already four. You are an outside-playing, dirt-digging, roly-poly-catching boy these days (when it's not freezing out). You have recently learned to climb trees, and get so high that it makes me just a tiny bit nervous. Iain says he needs to go to your tree-climbing school.

Speaking of school, you have been doing so great in the preschool work we've done this year. You know how to read words like man, cat, mat, etc. You are so stinkin' smart. Sometimes, without looking up from your coloring, you call out the answers to Iain's math problems. You are logical and you think deeply about...everything. You have a great vocabulary and you are creative (a few nights ago, you told us that "the sunset appears to be volcanos in the distance.").

You are so sweet to Laina, and you love playing with Iain. You're a good brother. If Laina's around, you hug her, and if Iain is not around, you can't do anything until you find him. You love your family, and you talk about what Brannons do and don't do, all the time.

We love you, Cory. May you grow in wisdom and stature this year, and in favor with God and man.

Words by Cory:

What is your favorite thing to do? "Watch a movie, and playmobil is the next."

What's your favorite food? "Peppers."

What do you want to be when you grow up? "I don't know. I don't have any guesses."

What do you like to learn in school? "Learning my letters."

What's your favorite color? "Green!"

And he's done. Back to playing playmobil.