Approaching 4 years old -- the highs and the lows

My darling son will be 4 yrs old in a few weeks. I have no idea where the time has gone! The saying that the days go by slowly, but the years go by quickly is so true! I love to see his imagination working and how he plays out things with his toys all by himself. He has an imagination that doesn't quit. Last night he apparantly couldn't go to bed because "Wally keeps pushing me out of bed!" Wally is his pint-sized stuffed duck. Wally has been guilty of all kinds of things. We went out to eat with Tom's parents last week and Grandpa Rob asked Ethan what he wante for supper. Ethan replied "I' want 'macroni n cheese', but Wally wants me to have pancakes!" The list of complaints continues: Wally is keeping him awake, Wally is being too loud, Wally will be lonely if we go somewhere, Wally doesn't want him to wear a certain shirt, etc. I think we have found the scapegoat. Wally, however, is responsible for Ethan finally overcoming his fear of his own room and bed last November when he got to take Wally to bed and keep him company there and tuck him in. Ethan would kiss Wally goodnight, lay him on his own special pillow and tuck him in with his own special blanket. It was a very bad day for anyone (ie Kaitlyn the blanket stealer) who tried to take away Wally's special blanket.

Wally

Do you think it would be possible to potty train Wally? Because I'm thinking it might be easier than potty training Ethan! He is almost 4 years old and still won't go #2 in the potty! It is so frustrating! He also has a bladder of steel, which he tests to the limits regularly, because he won't go pee on the potty without you telling him to go and sometimes coercing him to! He is fully capable of this, but he just won't on his own accord! I'm not sure if it's just become a power struggle or what, but I don't know what to do anymore! As for the dirty underwear business ... I'm getting really good at cleaning them out -- not a skill I had planned to acquire. Sigh. I keep thinking that maybe Kaitlyn will be potty trained before Ethan is! We finally had to return the potty ring we had borrowed from his cousin, Cole, because now Cole's little sister, Mihiret (who is going to be 2 in May) is showing interest in potty training. I thought maybe that news might make Ethan want to be a big kid, but no luck! I'm feeling defeated ... I can't even handle potty training, what's going to happen when he's a teenager? Arggh!

So there you have it. On one hand we have the sweet boy who gives me hugs and tells me he loves me and loves to be with me all the time -- hard to resist that -- on the other we have the stubborn kid who is driving his mother nuts! Future posts will be from the looney bin!