Guest Post from Erika: I have a little GIRL.

Guest Post from Erika: Peter at Four

Peter is pictured here with Daddy and TWO mini cupcakes because he tripped over his new ambulance and somehow managed to scrape his entire face AND his elbow.

Peter George Kosina turned four years old on Saturday. We celebrated with a small, music-themed party with some kids from his preschool and the sweet neighbor girls, who saved us in the 93-degree heat by hauling enormous umbrellas across the street to our sweltering yard. There was a didgeridoo and a man who could ROCK it and hold the attention of four sweaty preschoolers for nearly 45 minutes.

That night, tucking my big, bony four-year-old into bed, I got all teary. Yes, he is "spirited", "active", "challenging", and frequently crazy-making. But he is also SO sweet and funny and smart.

He fixed an owie for me the other day -- noticed that I had cut my thumb and took it upon himself to go and get a band-aid and put it on me himself: "Mom, you need a band-aid. I'm going to help you." In the heat of the most recent bedtime argument, when I was explaining for what seemed like the umpteenth time that mommy and daddy needed some Time and Peter needed to rest, he interrupted me to say: "Mom, I'm going upstairs now. You don't need to talk and talk and talk."

He is so excited about the world and what he can DO. It seems that every 90 seconds I hear "Mom, I need to show you something." Especially when I am trying to make dinner. But he is so proud of these contraptions that he makes to hold giant loads of blocks on his toy trucks, or a monster truck that he has drawn, or a slide that he has made out of a piece of wood. I have to look. Definitely a structural engineer, if he decides against artist/house painter/runner as his future career.

I wouldn't trade him for anything. I love him more than I knew was possible.

After reading a hilarious birthday interview with her child on Kristen's blog, I decided that this was a brilliant tradition that I had not yet missed the window for, unlike several *adorable* pieces from Karolina's first wardrobe. Sigh.

So here, in his own words, is Peter's Perspective at Four. Just to set the scene visually, for the duration of the interview Peter is sitting naked in a folding chair outside our back door, completely covered in dirt, munching on a bagel with smoked salmon and capers in between questions.

Me: All right Peter, how old did you turn yesterday?
P: Four.

Me: If a genie could grant you one wish, what would it be?
P: A hobby horse.

Me: What do you want to be when you grow up?
P: A artist, and a house painter, and a runner.

Me: What does an artist do?
P: Paints pictures.

Me: What does a house painter do?
P: Paints houses.

Me: What does a runner do?
P: Runs.

Me: Where do you want to live when you grow up?
P: Maybe right here all day (points at our Nevada City house).

Me: Do you think you’ll have any animals?
P: Yeah.

Me: What kind?
P: Tigers, and gorillas, and hippopotamuses and a rhinoceros.

Me: Do you think you want to get married when you grow up?
P: No thanks.

Me: Why not?
P: I don’t feel like it.

Me: Do you want to have children?
P: [Long pause, finally makes unintelligible noise].

Me: Yes? How many?
P: [Another long pause…] One.

Me: One child, ok.
P: I want to just have Karolina.

Me: Do you feel different now that you are four?
P: [Nods.]

Me: How so?
P: I don’t know.

Me: What is your favorite color and why?
P: Purple and green.

Me: Why is purple your favorite color?
P: Because it’s just my favorite color.

Me: And what about green? Why is green your favorite color?
P: Cause it’s just my favorite color.

Me: Who is your best friend?
P: Blakey and Logan and Natalia and McKinlee and Cassidy and Connor. [kids at his pre-school]

Me: Why do you like them?
P: Cause they’re just my best friend.

Me: Now that you are four, do you think you’ll have a girlfriend?
P: I just want Karolina girlfriend.

Me: What do you think about world peace?
P: What?

Me: Do you know what it is?
P: No.

Me: Ok, we’ll come back to that next year. What is your favorite TV show?
P: Captain Featherhook. [??? Is this even a real TV show? Never heard of it. We don’t own a TV, but we do watch Blue’s Clues and Wonder Pets on Netflix. Funny kid.]

Me: What is your favorite thing to do that is not TV?
P: Play.

Me: Play what?
P: Play with my ambulance. [He just received this ambulance on his birthday after asking for it for MONTHS.]

Me: What do you like most about school?
P: I like all of the things about school.

Me: What have you learned at school?
P: I learned about fish.

Me: What do you like to do in your free time?
P: I like to play in the grass.

Me: What is your favorite thing about yourself?
P: Eating Pirate Booty.

Me: What is your favorite song?
P: Rob Zombie. [This is Martin's doing.]

Me: If you could have any super power, what would it be?
P: Batman.

Me: That’s a super hero. What can Bat Man do that you would want to do?
P: Fly in the air.

Me: What is your very favorite thing to do?
P: Play all day.

Me: What are you most afraid of?
P: I’m afraid of monsters.

Me: What about monsters are you afraid of?
P: I’m afraid of witches and goblins and dragons.

Me: And what are you afraid of about them?
P: I’m afraid they will eat me.

Me: What is your favorite thing about me?
P: Hug.

Me: What is your favorite thing about daddy?
P: Hugging.

Me: What is your favorite thing about Karolina?
P: Hugging.

Me: What’s cool about Karolina?
P: Her tricks.

Me: What tricks are those?
P: Roll over.

Karolina is five months old.

Oh my. FIVE months! That's nearly half a year!

Karolina's favorite activities these days? Lifting her feet as high as she can and STOMPING them back down. She especially loves to do this at 1am, 2am, 3am...Oh, and she has rolled over TWICE now (both times back to front, just like her brother) -- the latest and greatest was in front of the full Easter crowd (cousins Sharon and Dennis came up with Vic and Nancy for Easter brunch). Huzzah!

She also loves to laugh at her brother's antics and examine whatever object you put within reach of her (very strong!) grasp. She is a Great Observer, as her babicka would say.

Girlfriend is pushing 20 lbs these days -- sorry Pawlene, you've been outweighed once again, despite all the fishy treats you have been getting from Peter lately. She still has a lovely, calm, happy disposition...a pleasure to be around.

And, just for the record, here is Peter at five months, in the same outfit. They are starting to differentiate just a bit...