Benjamin,

You turned four this past Saturday, and I can’t help but realize how quickly you’re growing. It’s unsettling to think you’ll be starting Pre-K this fall and I know you’ll take it by storm. And I mean that quite literally since you’re such a force of nature. I swear you were just that chubby baby boy playing with bubbles on our front porch, not the one I see today who asks me if I want to play Super Mario Bros. as soon as I step through the front door.

The day you were born, I was sleeping in without a clue you were already in this world (cough, cough, thanks everyone for not informing me that our baby brother was born and not bothering to wake me up to go visit mom at the hospital, yes, I’m still salty). Even though I wasn’t able to visit you, I was still extremely excited to have my very first baby brother. Now that I’m thinking about it, I realize you were born the year I started high school. Since my senior year is reaching its last moments, maybe you were the one thing that kept me sane in the giant mix of softball, grades, college, and everything else that’s been thrown at me.

I remember spending 8th grade planning out your life with one of my good friends because all we wanted at the time was for you to become a famous singer that may or may not be in a band one day. (And for the off chance that you couldn’t sing, we made an executive decision of forcing you into voice lessons, sorry not sorry). Since you’re still learning the ropes of speaking, I might put that goal aside and help teach you to speak fluently first.

You’re extremely smart and it terrifies me. You know your way around a tablet, the Wii U, and sometimes correct us if we say a phrase we aren’t supposed to say in front of you i.e., “What the heck!” Regardless, you amaze me every time we play Mario and sometimes know the controls better than me. Even if you make me play against my will for hours, I still occasionally ask if you want to play it instead of vice versa. You’re going to tear up kindergarten like no other because I know you’ll be able to learn quickly.

This past year has been very busy and exciting for you. You rode your very first rollercoaster in February and you surprisingly loved it considering we all thought you’d be terrified. Our Tia Magali said you even threw your arms up in excitement as you rode it. You also discovered your deep love for animals even if you picked them up a little too harshly. Hopefully you’ll learn to be a little gentler. You also have been completely invested in Paw Patrol thus leading to you always acting like a puppy and wanting to lick our faces. Also just like your older sister Sophia, you love ketchup. Even though you don’t dunk your pancakes from iHop into it you still love to just lick it off your hot dogs, eggs, fries, etc. On the topic of food you are also obsessed with Moe’s queso and just love the taste of it without actually eating the chips that come with it.

Alongside your food obsessions, is your tummy, yes, I said tummy. You grow in the same weird way as Sophia. You get a tummy and stretch it out as you grow taller and then it’s gone, until it’s time for you to start growing again. Your tummy is one of my favorite things because some of the shirts you wear end up leaving a little space where the bottom of your tummy sticks out. It only reminds me of that blueberry girl from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when she blew up into a giant blue ball.

This past year we’ve really tried to hardcore potty train you because for some reason you just can’t let go of your diaper slip-ons. I will never ever forget the numerous times you have peed all over me and the walls because you thought it was hilarious. While disgusting, it was also actually funny because your giggle is the best thing ever. And I can never get over how funny it is when you poop because you always tell mom or me to leave you alone so you can do your business.

No matter the ups and sometimes downs of this past year, I’m still glad it was another one with my favorite peanut. I don’t know how much I’ll survive when I go off to Missouri in the fall and leave you behind at home. I just hope that when I do come home for the first time after starting college that the first thing you’ll want to do is play some Mario on the Wii U. I hope you enjoy all the toys and attention you got these past couple of days, and I hope that this next year of your life is filled with more wonderful adventures.

With Love,

TiTi aka Felicity