update: lyle

We've all changed so much in a year and a half- especially the kids! So I thought I'd start out with a post about each of them and tell you all what they have been up to. And of course, show you what they look like now! Starting with Lyle :)

When I last posted, Lyle was still 3 years old. In October of last year, he turned 4. He had blue cupcakes and helped Hazel put the sprinkles and candles on them.



He has shown a very strong love for playing with little figurines and small toys, and there is almost always a little assortment of his current favorites lined up somewhere near him- even at the table.





It has been really fun for me to watch Lyle & his Dad become good buddies. They have really been enjoying their time together, and look for opportunities often to have a little bit of "life without girls". It's not only our first time having a boy to watch grow and change, but also our last child so we suddenly have the luxury of having no toddlers and no diaper bags to keep track of! So the guys are really enjoying their time together and I love seeing them bond.









Lyle has really started doing a lot more drawing and writing letters too. He has a great talent for drawing robots and aliens, and writes his own comic books to share with us. Here is a family portrait he drew on the white board.



Lyle also has fully embraced the idea of dressing himself. He has some very interesting combinations and they often include a lot of accessories. Sometimes they include safety gear and important things like sunglasses (he HATES bright sun!), and sometimes comfort is the main concern (pajamas are more comfortable than jeans... who cares what time of day it is!). Other items are purely for the sake of decoration. Wings, tattoos, the odd silly band or two, and gloves made from old socks are just a few of the things he likes to wear.







Sometimes you see parts of old Halloween costumes working into his wardrobe too. Well, actually this happens a lot. Here are the pants from his Super Why costume along with a new shirt he got for his birthday. ("They match so well!") I adore photos where his hair is blowing out behind him like this. I just love his hair.



His play is so silly and creative, and I think I am enjoying it differently this time around because I don't have a baby to deal with while he is in this stage. So I get to focus on playing with my 5 year old!

 



Here he is making a "food angel" after making snow angels last winter. :)



Everyone has a person who they just love to spend time with and who they really connect with- and for Lyle this person is his best friend, Andy. Here they are reading together last year.



We've been trying to have Andy over once a week so these guys can have lots of playtime together. They love playing make-believe and can stay in character for hours it seems. They have so much fun together! Andy also accompanied us on our big outing for Lyle's 5th birthday last month.



We used a Groupon we had purchased ahead of time to go to a nearby family entertainment center. The boys got to have pizza in the restaurant and then play arcade games as well as bowling. They had a BLAST and we saved a load of money planning ahead with the Groupon.







When we got home we had cake and then Andy spent the night. They were so cute snuggled up in Lyle's bed together!





This being Lyle's 5th birthday, he and I got to go on our first birthday date! He wasn't too keen on taking a lot of photos, but we managed to get a couple. Pictured also are Lyle's game card from the bowling alley, and the robotic arm he got from Andy for his birthday. It's important to keep your favorite things nearby at all times.





Lyle wanted to go to Burger King and play in the tunnels. We actually had a better time at the park we stopped at afterward, but now he knows what it's like to go out and he can pick somewhere different to eat next year. We had a great time together, and he loved being my only focus for the whole afternoon!

Thinking back over the last 18 months with Lyle, I mostly think about what a beloved little guy we have here. His big sisters love him so much and would do anything for him. He gets to experience such a varied bunch of activities because of them- he learns so much from them. And we all learn from him as well- mainly to slow down and take the time to do lots of fun stuff together! He is a really cool guy and I love him so much.