The boy is four today

We call him Hudson Bear, Buddy, Hudson John, Brother Bear, and Little Man. Harper calls him Huts, or Bud, or,when she's feeling not so kindly, "Noe-nee Boy".Helena calls him "Uh-seh." He introduces himself, much to my amusement, as "Hudson Bear Grylls". As in Bear Grylls, survival specialist and star of the Discovery Channel show "Man vs. Wild". This is definitely his chosen persona these days, and generally requires lots of gear, sunglasses, and a manly scowl:



This year has completely erased the baby and replaced him with a boy. This would make me exceedingly melancholy, except for almost daily moments that look a little something like this:
I realized today that somewhere between 3 and 4 is when you stop holding children nearly as much. They get themselves in and out of bed, they walk and run of their own volition. Hudson snuggles very close next to me for stories and sometimes I carry him to bed (he prefers "upside down"), but unless he is hurt or sad about something, I go without holding him for days on end.

He weighs 30 pounds according to the scale at the Children's Museum.

He has very few opinions about his clothes, though he prefers pockets in his pants so he can carry sticks, and when it's cold he requests his "fleecy pants" with elastic waistbands, not caring one bit if they are a size 2T pair that could really be more accurately called "fleecy capris".

His favorite food is probably an Amy's veggie pocket, which he requests about 5 times a week, and actually eats about twice a month. He also loves black beans, rice and tortillas when we eat out. He's a good eater, but not an especially hearty one, which explains the 30 pounds.

He likes all of his friends, but has especially enjoys playing with Marcos, who is the brother of a girl in Harper's ballet class. It's the only time in his life when he's gotten the chance to nurture a friendship without Harper around. They tackle and play superheroes mostly. And there was one especially hilarious day when the two of them chatted up a couple of 12 year old girls on the playground. The boys hung on top of this web device and regaled the big girls with exciting information, including Hudson saying, at one point, "You know, sometimes our bodies just DO that." Note to self: Before he becomes a teenager, gently encourage him to keep the flatulence observations to himself.

His most beloved playmate is still Harper, though. This year has brought tremendous improvements in their relationship. They have more moments of genuine enjoyment, and fewer moments of Harper treating him like a disease. That has been sweet for me. They play out in the backyard for hours--exploring, swinging, see-sawing. Inside, they do some dressing up:
This picture made me giggle--it looks like Edmund Pevensie about to fall under the spell of a young White Witch. Run away from the Turkish delight, Edmund!!

He also really enjoys playing by himself. He most often gets a dozen or so little cars and drives them around on the coffee table. They talk to each other in high pitched voices, sometimes in An Unkind Manner.

He still takes a 2-3 hour nap every afternoon. I know he's awake when I hear his stuffed animals talking to each other. Also in high pitched voices, occasionally in An Unkind Manner, but usually not.

He has just about outgrown his bike. We take lots of bike rides in the afternoons, waiting for Daddy to get home, and he is fast and sure, and stops at intersections without being reminded:

His speech has gotten much clearer this year, but there are still a few words he doesn't get quite right:

1. Yightning Between and his friend Nader, from the movie "Cars".
2. Buhstruction men who work so hard to buhstruct buildings and houses.
3. Puts his dirty clothes in the pamper before running to get in the bathtub.
4. A favorite book this month has been A Pocketful of Cricket, or "A Pottet Full of Trittet".

He works hard to enunciate his L's and R's and K's. He was trying to say the name Luke the other day and his face and mouth looked like Silly Putty, and there was a fair amount of saliva expelled.

I think the big revelation this year has been the drumming. It comes as no real surprise, considering the Daddy is an excellent drummer, and Hudson wants to be exactly like the Daddy. [And here is where I wanted to post a video of the drummer boy but after three hours it has still not downloaded. Perhaps I'll try again tomorrow.]

I love him so much it aches. What joy to have a son.