Trenton is FOUR!!

Trenton,

Even though it's been about a month since you turned four, It has been a fantastic few months! You had a PJ Masks birthday party at Backyard Playworld, which is an indoor playground equipment company that opens their showcase floor for playdates and birthday parties. It was filled with numerous playground equipment structures and trampolines. We invited a few friends from school and the rest were Boys Town family teacher kids that you play with. You had SO much fun!! It was our first birthday party and I have to say, it wasn't that stressful. I didn't have any party favors so I think that might've helped :) I did have fun making your cupcakes, and we just re-used some décor from Tucker's party. So big win there!

You and your brother are just too funny. Daddy and I have adopted the parenting style where we choose sleep over fully monitoring, especially in the early mornings. Sometimes you both wake up at 6am or earlier so I just turn on the TV and give you a snack and go back to bed. Sometimes you make huge messes like wash your stuffed toys or find dry erase markers and color on the TV, walls, and dog crate, or find a box of cereal or crackers and dump it out all over the couch and grind up the crumbs into the fabric. But I figure its a lot easier to deal with these inevitable messes when we have had enough sleep. Great parenting, right?? But most of the time you and Tucker are best friends. It's really funny when you try be the parent and teach him things. Until it backfires and he yells and you get extremely upset. Part of the time you guys are best friends and get along great, part of the time you are getting into trouble together, and the other part of the time you are trying to kill each other. It's always moving in the West house!

You and Tucker both know how to get on each other's nerves. Tucker doesn't like for you to sit on his bed, so a lot of times you will deliberately sit on his bed and this conversation ensues:
     Tucker: "off MY bed! Eat now! [Right now]"
     Trenton: "hahahahahaha"
     Tucker: "funny!!!" (meaning NOT funny) "Off MY bed! Eat Now! You're bed!"

Then it goes the other way. You get mad at Tucker when he doesn't accept a car or toy you are trying to give him, then you growl in frustration and throw a major fit because he won't accept your "kindness". We need to work on what that means :)

Sometimes when you go to school, I send you with a big mixing bowl of popcorn for breakfast.  One day you (or your wife) will understand the struggles of toddlers in the mornings :)

Most kids have very vivid imaginations, but you are such a literal kid! Its quiet funny. If someone says the dog is saying something, you will argue back that animals don't talk; among other silly things people try to tell you. You are just too smart I guess :)

When it comes to the guys, you just love them so much! There are times where we have to really teach you to be nice and that you are not the boss (that comes with your brother as well). We are working on you not bossing them around and yelling at them for no reason. However, you have stopped spitting and throwing toys so that's great news! When you do play with them, you love jumping on them and wrestling with them, and your favorite pastime is to steal their shoes and throw them in the apartment, or even the apartment trash can, because you know they aren't allowed to go into the apartment. You can be so ornery! You still love the guys and have even called some of them your brothers and you love spending time with them.

As far as school, you just love it. You are also a major homebody and if you had a choice, it would be to stay at home and play. However, as soon as you get somewhere else, you love it. We got your spring progress report from preschool and your letters and numbers have improved some. I think living at Boys Town has helped you in your adult conversation skills because you excel at talking with adults, but we need to work on your sharing with friends a little more. Listening was also a struggle sometimes but the past few weeks you have been doing a fantastic job listening and following instructions the first time without arguing. It has made Mommy and Daddy's life way easier!

Potty training has been a struggle as well. But apparently we just needed to bribe you with big expensive toys instead of small Hot Wheels cars, because as soon as we got toys worth at least $15, there has been A LOT less poop accidents! Well played, son :)

I am so proud of the little boy you are becoming and I am always so excited to see you grow and watch you learn. I am so grateful for being able to watch you grow up and be home with you.