Happy Half Birthday, Ez!

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it."

Today Ez is four and a HALF years old. And as we all know, halves mean a whole lot when you're four. As of tomorrow, he's officially closer to five, which blows my mind. While we don't celebrate half birthdays (mostly because Declan's falls smack dab on Christmas) it is a good reminder to slow down a bit and look back on how far Ez has come in the past half year.

2017 turned out to be a year of big changes for Ez, and while I wouldn't call any of the transitions smooth, per se, I am so impressed with how hard Ez has worked to tackle all the challenges we've thrown at him. There was our spur of the moment move from San Jose to Sacramento in January, potty training, which I will shortly sum up as a battle royale, and, of course, preschool. Out of the four of us, he has had by far the most eventful year. Joe and I joke that Ez is the only one of us that has to leave the house and interact with the real world on a daily basis. And you know what? It hasn't been easy. For any of us.

Ez went from never being left alone with strangers, not even for a few minutes, to being left with people he'd never seen before for twelve hours a week. There were tears (and to be honest, there still are) but he has grown so much. He comes home wanting to play school. He leads me through their routine of outdoor time, art time (aka - playdough time), snacks, complete with washing our hands before, sharing, and story time. He has gone from being the shyest little wall flower, to coming out of his shell and playing with other kids. He's taken on a new level of independence, wanting to do things all by himself, even if it takes five times longer. We couldn't be more proud of him.

We have asked so much of our little four year old this year, and with each new lesson he learns, and task that he tackles, he is a little less my baby, and a little more boy. Then he does something that reminds me of little Ez, like jumping for joy when the garbage truck comes by, or wanting snuggles when he scrapes his knee, and I remember that he's still just a little four year old boy and I want to hold onto those moments forever. Or at least take a million photos that I can cry over every half year or so 😉

Dear Ez,

With every new challenge you face this year, you impress us over and over with your bravery, your hard work, and your persistence. You've nearly conquered your fear of public restrooms (which, to be honest, everyone kinda hates public restrooms) - and mommy's sorry for having to threaten you with being kicked out of Disneyland if you didn't use their restrooms, BUT, it worked, and one day you'll thank me. You've bravely branched out and are busy forming a little world all your own, outside of our family, where you learn so much each and every day. You've made new friends and sparked a love for learning that I hope continues to grow, year after year. You've fully embraced your big brother role this year, alternately looking after Declan, and then tackling him to the ground. You are still my best little helper, a role you've held since you could walk, helping with laundry, cleaning up, and taking out the trash. We love you to the moon and back, sweet boy, and we are so thankful to be on this journey with you.