20 questions for Timmy at Age 4

1. Who is your favorite person in the world? Somebody on my soccer team named Jackson.

Timmy recently had his yearly checkup. He is 40.75 inches tall and weighs 35.8 pounds, right around average as always, for his age. He wears size 4 in clothes and size 9 in shoes.

2. What is your favorite color? Black.

3. What's your favorite TV show? Jake and the Neverland Pirates.

4. What's your favorite outfit? One of my school shirts.. [He gets up to look in his closet and points to a navy blue polo shirt]. This one. [I ask him what he likes to wear it with and he goes to the drawer where his pants and shorts are kept.] I like wearing it with these pants [navy blue shorts] because it matches the color.

He has a pesky habit of always needing to "adjust"himself.

5. What sport do you like best? Can I choose any sport? [I nod yes.] I choose soccer because I always play soccer. And it's [his team is] called the Bulldogs.

6. What song do you love? Jake and the Neverland Pirates. [theme song, I guess]

7. What's your favorite cereal? The cookie one.

He loves taking selfies.

8. Who is your best friend? Um... it's 'Other Timmy'. [the little boy down the street]

9. What do you want to be when you grow up? Like a nature guy.

His latest thing is he likes to make me cards. He gets Annie to help him.

10. What is your favorite book? I'll show you it. [He goes to his bookshelf, selects Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel, and holds it up for me.]

He still looks like a baby when he's asleep.

11. What are you really good at? Um.. soccer.

12. Where do you wish you could go on vacation? Disney World.

13. What is your best memory? [This completely stumps him and he shrugs with a smile, his hands up next to his face.] I don't know.

He's playing soccer for the first time and loves it. He just needs to work on listening to his coach a little better, and horsing around with his teammates a little less.

14. What would you buy if you had $1000? I'd buy a box of cars.

15. What is your favorite vegetable? Um.. apples. [That's not a vegetable, that's a fruit! I tell him.] No, it's not. [I won't argue anymore. Let's not make a liar of him anyway, since we all know he doesn't eat any vegetables.]

16. If you could have a wish, what would it be? [Shrugs again. "Anything you wanted, what would it be?" I prompt.] I don't know.

He sort of drives his dad nuts, but he also does really cute things that melt him, and so he says that's why we keep him around.

17. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? The green one.

18. Who is your biggest hero? Well, it's one of my friends.. It's .. I forget.

19. What do you like to do with your friends? Play.

He never eats the crusts of his sandwiches. Come to think of it, he doesn't eat the bread anymore either. Or what goes on the bread.. I don't know what to feed him anymore. He eats snacks for lunch, basically. He fits right in with his picky sisters. I'm pinning my hopes on his baby brother to be the kid in this family who eats.

20. What do you hope you'll get to do before your next birthday? [Shrugs.]

Inspired by my Delaney collage, I will leave you with this one of Timmy at ages 0, 2, and now a big boy of 4. It's been an amazing four years with our little buddy. Just writing this post makes my heart swell with love, pride and gratitude for the gift he is in our lives.