Life with a 4 year-old is many things, and often many things in a very short time span. Take this morning, for instance…

Life with a 4yo is him walking into your bedroom and leaning his head against Mama, just for a second, just to say “hey.”

It is seeing just how many times and in how many ways you can touch your sister at the breakfast table even though Mama has said at least five times, “For the love of all things holy, quit messing around and Just. EAT!”

It is being totally cool with wearing pajamas all the live-long days (that are not church/preschool days) and being extra excited to be big enough to move up to the next size of Brother’s hand-me-downs (no, really – bless his sweet heart. he was SO excited to see some of the clothes I pulled out for him to wear, in part because he is so thrilled to be wearing stuff that HD remembers wearing).

Life with a 4yo is spending five minutes frantically pulling bikes and random yard toys/tools out of the garage so you can get to the double stroller that he has specifically requested for taking to school drop off for the first time this year.

It is then spending the next five minutes (the first half of the walk to school) telling him (with the help of the big siblings who had to help with extraction/wait to get going) that he picked the stroller so now he must RIDE in the stroller.

It is THEN spending the next five minutes (and later, the whole way home) pushing just the baby in the double jogger because the 4yo bailed and refused to get back in said requested stroller. Classic 4yo, I tell you.

Life with a 4yo is requesting to hear this song, not that one. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

It is “Can I have a berry bar?” at 8:15 a.m. (every blessed day).

It is red-faced, foot-stomping “NO!”s (sometimes from Mama, too).

It is wide-eyed, mouth dropped open wonder at seeing Mama’s belly wiggle from the baby juking and jiving in there.

Life with a 4yo is taking the toy truck and trailer away from the almost 2yo one minute and then sharing it without being asked the next. Repeat forever.

It is ball throwing, furniture climbing, self launching from various surfaces, and “Tag! You’re it!” also forever.

Above all, life with a 4yo is never dull and rarely quiet. And as gray-hair-making as it can be, life with a 4yo is amazing. See, for example, leg/under the bump hugs on the first day of preschool. Also classic 4yo.