Amanda & Katsu: Andrew is 4 years, 9 months old

Pictures:

Monthly Update:

Oh, it has been a hard month – well, more like a hard week for Andrew, poor guy. The girls at preschool decided they don’t really want Andrew to be part of their group and it also sounds like they are having all-girl playdates and he is heartbroken. I feel so bad for him. He keeps telling me how they are so mean (and then Seth chimes right in … I was mortified when we saw one of the mom’s and Seth said that her daughter was mean). And he keeps telling me how he has no idea who he is going to marry, even though I reassure him that he has plenty of time.

Otherwise, I think we’ve all adjusted to having Logan around, Andrew included. His stomach aches are gone (I think having a bagel on the way to preschool every morning helps, too). And we are at least getting some one-on-one time every day (or at least I am trying). He even is starting to internalize how far he needs to be away from Logan so he isn’t right up in his face. He has had a little frustration when I am spending lots of time feeding Logan and has hit Logan a couple times (but really gently), but overall, I think he is just an adoring big brother.

Andrew’s writing and spelling keep getting better. He can usually identify beginning and ending sounds of words. He is very creative at finding words to put in his letter bags, like he though he could put a “cube” in his Q bag. How cute. He is working so hard at his writing and is learning how to hold a pencil properly. He addressed all his valentines himself (and could read all the names from his class list himself, too) and they are mostly legible.

Andrew has really gotten more creative at building with his Trio blocks, blocks, and Lincoln logs. He makes this elaborate cars and structures and is peeved whenever anyone messes with them. No matter what he builds, it is almost always used to play bad and good cars, roughly based on the movie Cars 2.

Andrew has his annual assessment through the school district. He is doing quite well, but a little below average on some gross motor skills (like hopping on one foot) and also on replicating block towers. He is above average in verbal abilities (no surprise there). I do notice he still doesn’t say the sound “u” like in “use” right. I think he is starting to get excited about going to Kindergarten. As soon as our plans for next year are a little more firmed up, we will register him.

We love Andrew!

Fun Things He Did:

Movies at the history museum – we saw Ice Age 3 and Dinosaur. Andrew LOVES all the snacks they provide and seemed to enjoy both movies. Free and with snacks – even better than the theater.
We went to a Chinese new year party that someone in our stake threw for this group of people that meet for Chinese Sunday School. Somehow, we always get invited along and we’ve been a couple times. Anyways, after getting pretty lost going there, we made it. The boys had a blast. The adults all made loads of dumplings together and then we ate lots and lots of Chinese food. Then, they had a presentation about the Chinese new year and the host had made a Chinese dragon out of paper which all the kids held up with sticks and ran around and around the house. It was pretty fun! Andrew was the smallest one running around with it and he had to reach pretty high, but he loved it.
On Martin Luther King Day, Katsu took the day off and we went to go look for Bald Eagles near the Confluence where the Missouri and Mississippi rivers meet (about 20 mins from our house). Andrew tired of hiking pretty quickly, but seemed to have fun. We first went to Chain of Rocks bridge and walked part way before they closed it. Then, we went hiking around the Confluence and had a picnic lunch there (the weather was lovely!) and then we went to West Alton to the Audubon center. Andrew and Katsu finally spotted a real bald eagle using their binoculars. Then, we went out for dinner at Dickey’s BBQ. They even have free ice cream cones. A beautiful January day.
Making snow man and having a snow ball fight with Katsu.
Lots of days at the park. It has been a super mild winter.
Donuts with Dad at preschool. Katsu went to preschool with Andrew and they dined on donut holes and did a presentation. Andrew always has a lot of fun on those days.
Having our friend George from Ann Arbor and his wife over. Andrew’s favorite old babysitter.
Celebrating Setsubun by throwing beans at daddy-goblin.
Watching the Super Bowl with Dad and having lots of yummy snacks and leftover jellybeans.
Voting with Mom.
Watching a really awesome Anansi puppet show at the library. Andrew was laughing his head off during one part of it.