Lady Liberty

We finally made it into Manhattan today. First stop: Statue of
Liberty. A must. Brendan, in particular, loved it. We made it up into
the pedestal. So cool!

One reason we heart Texas

... Because you never find TCU gear at the grocery store.

Happy 4th birthday, Ryan!

My sweet Ryan is 4. Happy birthday!

Ryan, at 4:

• He's 42.5 inches, which is about a half-inch taller than Brendan at the same age and is three inches taller than he was on his third birthday. He weighs 38-39 pounds. Several people in the past few days have commented on how tall he is (saying he looks closer to 5).


• Ryan has an incredible heart. He is always thinking and doing things for his brother, sister and dad. And expects nothing in return.


• Ryan can swim a full 25. He completed his first one a week before he turned 4! He was also the first 3-year-old to graduate from Level 3 at the Colony's swim lessons program. He's a natural fish in the water and feels comfortable swimming around the diving well.


• Ryan is going through a picky-eater phase. While he was 3, he decided he no longer liked noodles with sauce, BBQ and chicken. He even went through a phase (gasp!) when he declared he didn't eat pizza. He still loves, thankfully, eating most fruits. And he'll polish off a bowl of carrots on his own.


• He knows his ABCs, can recognize letters and can count to 30. He's also good with his colors and shapes. He can spell and write his name!


• Ryan loves sports in general, and seems to have a knack for them. He's good with the soccer ball and loves playing t-ball. He also likes to be run fast while being chased!


• Ryan is riding a bike with training wheels, and he loves it. He's able to keep up fairly well and even rides from our house to the pool with Dad and Brendan.


• Ryan knows more about Star Wars than I am sure is acceptable for a child of his age. But he often reads the same books as his brother, and we have quite the Star Wars collection!


• Ryan doesn't nap anymore. He gave it up entirely when he stopped attending preschool in June. (Even then, he only napped once or twice a week.) He still needs downtime, though.


• He sleeps with many stuffed animals, including Marty (a blue and red puppy), and his prized blue-and-white stripe blankies.


• Ryan's bedtime is generally between 8-8:30. I'd love for him to be asleep at 8, but his brother isn't. Since they share a room, it's not easy getting one to bed without the other.


• He plays well with his brother and sister, though he forgets to use his words when he's frustrated.


• Ryan is very protective of his little sister. Mess with her on the playground and you'll have to deal with him!


• In September, Ryan will begin Pre-K. It's hard to believe he only has one year remaining until kindergarten! He'll be attending a new school, where he'll be with a few friends he already knows.


• Ryan loves superheroes and Cars. He still plays with his Cars cars nonstop.