Update on Ethan

I love having a 4-year-old in the house.  One morning I was showing Tim and Ethan my big muscles after my 5:30 a.m. body-pump class and Ethan said, "My muscles are bigger than yours, Mom.  My muscles are bigger than our whole family's!"

I thought he was trying to smack-talk me and I laughed, but by his reaction (he hid his face and fell on the ground), I realized that Ethan really thinks his muscles are bigger than our whole family's.  That's the mind of a 4-year-old.

I love that Tim knows what gear to get a kid for his first season of soccer:

 Ethan's grandparents help each event be the best they can be.  Here we are before going to the rodeo (note the soccer clothes under the cowboy attire; he had practice that day too):

 We were all-smiles at the rodeo.

 Some other things I love about Ethan right now is that he can make it through most days without a nap, which means he and I have special time together on the days that I am home in the afternoons.  Some days we play a game together or sometimes we do "homework", which involves coloring or practicing writing letters. 

We also have good conversations together.  When the Japan earthquake hit, every night Ethan wanted to talk about it.  He wondered why earthquakes happen and was worried that there might be an earthquake here.  Tim told him there aren't earthquakes here, but I said there can be.  I figure we might as well be honest, but also talk about the reality that they usually don't happen here, and if they do, we need to know the right things to do and we will pray for safety and help from God.

Ethan also had lots of questions about Easter this year.  We had special eggs that we hid during the week before Easter.  Each one had a little symbol that was part of the Easter story, including Palm Sunday, the Last Supper, praying in Gethsemane, Judas' betrayal, Good Friday, the tomb, and then how Jesus was alive on Easter Sunday!  It's fun to see Ethan have questions and want to learn more.

And most importantly, Ethan is still one of the biggest Bengal fans.  Last weekend we got to go for a fan day at the football field.  When Kate's picture ended up in the newspaper as she got the autograph of one of the players, Ethan was so happy for his sister!  Here he is, wearing orange under his soccer jersey, with his favorite hat: