Fletcher is 4

Fletcher, you are now 4 years old. In many ways though, you seem much older. I am pretty sure that I baby you way more than I did your siblings. After all, you are and will always be the baby of the family. You are the most precocious child I have ever met. You talk incessantly, but you do it with such confidence. You rarely stumble over your words or struggle to find something to say. And, you always know what you want and make sure everyone else does too. For your birthday, you wanted a Lego rocket ship. You told that to everyone you talked to for the past few weeks. The morning of your birthday, the first thing you asked was when you could put together your Lego rocket.  Mind you, there were not presents in sight, much less one that you had opened.  But, by the end of the day, you had the rocket in hand and couldn't wait to assemble it.

When you aren't playing with Lego rockets, you are turning everything else into rockets. Duplo Legos, magnet tiles, block, tools, markers...you name it, and my Fletcher will find a way to turn it into a rocket. The most impressive part is that you always make sure you are able to drop the fuel and rocket boosters in stages, just like you've seen in so many shuttle launch videos your dad shows you. And, your love of rockets extends to movies and shows, which is probably why you love Star Wars so much. Your favorite characters are the Storm Troopers, and you insisted on having a Storm Trooper cake. Given the current pandemic, I managed to make one for you and the simple Storm Trooper cutout taped to toothpicks did the trick.

You also love the Storm Trooper stuffy you got for your birthday. He went on a car ride with us today and is sleeping in your bed. I have a feeling he's going to make some trips to the lake this summer too.

You still love hockey. And, you want to play it all of the time. You know how to put on your knee/shin pads, your helmet, and your gloves. You are allowed to play in the basement and garage (when the cars are out of it), but multiple times per week, I catch you gearing up and trying to play in the living room. When we're at your brother's hockey games, you get so mad you can't play. We have started taking your gear with us so you can pretend to play behind the bleachers during Barrett's games so that you won't drive the rest of us crazy. You also skated on your own without help a few weeks back. As soon as the ice rinks open up again, I am sure you'll be in skating lessons, and the rest of us will be in trouble.

Your physical energy doesn't stop with hockey though. you are always running, climbing, and now riding your bike. It's a balance bike, but you love it because it makes you feel like you are riding with your siblings. I usually walk with the wagon though so we can tow the bike when you get tired of riding.

Because you are so self assured in the way and amount of talking you do, it is a little surprising that one of your favorite pastimes is reading books. You LOVE reading. You will read just about any book, but your favorite ones involve spaceships, astronauts, trains, boats, and big trucks. It's really awesome when one of your siblings reads to you before bed. Sweet moments like that warm my heart and make me so happy that the 3 of you have each other.

Another favorite pastime of yours is stealing my phone to take random pictures. I never know what snapshots I will find on my phone. You used to only get photos of your hand and forehead, but you are getting better. You usually get most of your face now, and you have learned to switch the camera so you are photographing things in front of you instead of taking selfies. It will be interesting to see how long it is until those things are actually centered and in focus. Here is some of your recent photography in action.

You are definitely a third child. You love and adore your siblings, but are constantly teetering back and forth between playing like best friends and fighting like the worst of enemies. You do still enjoy playing by yourself with no one to boss you around, but you love it when they wait on you and help you get what you want. And, you always want to do whatever your siblings are doing. I do love watching the 3 of you play thought. It is so amazing to see the bond you have. I hope it continues to grow as you grow.

You are so loved. I guess that's your blessing, my youngest child. You have never known a day without the love of both your parents and all of your siblings. I pray that you will share that love with those around you. I pray that you'll always keep your confidence while learing to listen with a kind and humble heart. You have so much life in you and so much life to live. I love who you are today and who you are becoming. I can't wait to see what God has in store for you. May he bless all of your days with his love and peace.