Happy 4th Birthday, Dash!

"If June 22 is your birthday, 2009 is a year of sociability. It is a friendly time, when it's easy to enjoy life and other people. The focus is on personal freedom, reaching out to others, making new friends, and exploration. You're more enthusiastic and ready for adventure. It is likely to be a rather lighthearted year, when opportunities for "playtime" are greater than usual. It's also a good year for expressing your creativity. Advice - reach out, but avoid scattering your energies."

Wow, did they have my enthusiastic, friendly four-year-old in mind when they wrote this horoscope?

Dash has become the most lovable and charming little preschooler. It's so hard to sum up how far he's come this year with his vocabulary, potty training (done!), sleep habits, helpfulness, and general ability to charmingly manipulate the socks off of everyone around him. All this past week, as we've been planning his birthday party, both Monkeyrotica and I have heard, "I love you so much Mommy (or Daddy)!" Lots of big kisses and hugs for his parents, for isn't he getting lots of birthday party fun and gifts? Why yes! He happily and transparently announces everything that he is doing—good or bad—with disregard for consequences. If he doesn't get what he's asking for, he'll ask again and again, with the same inflection or a slight change in tonality, because he is the minister of persistence.

Much of the latter half of last year focused on changes in Rosie's life, primarily starting public school. Dash has been a rock, just keeping on with his schedule, only getting upset about the missed details (You forgot my bag of teddy grahams, Mommy!). He wants to go to his "New" school someday, just like Rosie, or get a new "big" bed like Rosie, and play with all Rosie's toys. He denies that he's copying her, but she complains often that Dash is following her around. He loves Rosie so much! They are the best playmates together, as Dash willingly plays whatever game Rosie sets up (especially the doll-play).

I am looking forward to learning more about him, hearing his stories, listening to his songs, whatever he has to offer, and gently parenting him every day. Happy birthday, my cutiepie, little Dash.