Well another summer is coming to a close! It's been such a busy one but good grief, it flew by so fast! 

You will start your last year of preschool in a few weeks - It literally brings tears to my eyes at the thought. I love you so much and I am so happy that you are growing and maturing but I just am not ready to have my baby boy be so big. You've really sprouted up in height over the summer - you are so tall! 

You finished your first baseball season - that was probably the cutest thing in the world. You and your little buddies had such a great time together! 

Since Mama has her job at Washburn, I had a lot of flexibility so I got to spend so much time with you this summer. I took off 1-2 days a week to work from home and we just hung out and did fun stuff together! We did some swimming, went to summer movies, and just spent a lot of time hanging out. I still thank the lord everyday that I was blessed with this job opportunity because my mama time has increased SO much. 

We spent last weekend in 

st Louis and did so many fun things! We went to the arch and then to grants farms where you rode a camel for the first time! This is such a brave move for you because last year when we were in Wichita, you were so terrified and refused to. You've really grown and were so brave! Auntie, Uncle Ez, the girls and poppy arrived a day after us and we went to a Cardinals game (you're a big cardinals fan now...you want to wear your shirt and hat all the time.) that was your first baseball game! You weren't that into it but it was still fun! We also went to the city museum which is basically a huge obstacle course. Again, you weren't scared of anything - you climbed through dark tunnels, climbed through cages hanging way in the air...I was so proud if you and your bravery. You really overcame a lot of fear that weekend. We ended the weekend at a big arcade - your favorite part of that was playing laser tag. :) You and Kam chased everyone around and tried so hard to shoot us. It was a blast and so nice to all be together again for the first time in a few months. 

We continue to try and teach you new things - You hate doing "schoolwork" so it's a huge struggle. Right now we are trying to work on recognizing the sounds associated to the letters but you aren't very interested. We are also really trying to help you write your name - you do it, but sometimes it's a little hard to read :) 

So much has happened lately and we have done such fun stuff! 

You finished your first year in preschool a few weeks a go- it's hard to believe that you only have one more year left before you go to preschool. Mama got to attend your last day of preschool where we sang songs, had ice cream sundaes, and played outside with all of your friends. You formed a great friendship with two of your classmates- Elias and Liam. In fact, you started playing tball with them this summer so you get to see them even more! :) It's so neat to see you really start to form friendships and have so much fun with other kiddos. You always say that they are your best buddies or your best friends. When Mama was unloading your backpack on your last day of school, I will shamefully admit that I did cry at the thought of you growing up! You saw me crying and told me "I will always hold your hand, Mama!" 

Like I said, you started playing baseball with your two best buddies and are really loving it! It's four pitches by the coach and then off the tee if necessary. Daddy helps out and it makes my heart so happy to see two of my favorite guys out there together. You are at that age where you don't really understand the rules but really have a blast trying! It is quite possibly the cutest thing ever watching the games! 

Uncle David graduated from medical school and we could not be any more excited for him or proud of him. You attended his hooding ceremony and his graduation and cheered 

him on so loud. You had a blast at his graduation party where you played so hard with the girls. You just cannot get enough of your girls. 

Sadly, Gigi (poppy's mama) passed away 

- she had been in and out of the hospital so I know she didn't want to live that way but it is always so hard to lose loved ones. We spent a lot of time trying to cheer poppy up - he had rotator cuff surgery the day before she passed away so he has really been down in the dumps. 

Me, you, and Daddy moved uncle Dave and aunt Sheena to St. Louis this week. What should have been a 4 1/2 car ride turned into a nine hour trip. Ain't Sheena had a tire blow out so we waited to fix that, there was a wreck on the highway, and rush hour traffic caused us to be at a stand still... But you were the most amazing little boy! Daddy drove the ugly so ur was just me and you in the car but you were so great and patient despite the long time. You didn't fall asleep at all but also didn't whine or fight me for it being so Long. When we got to dave's and started unloading the uhaul, you were such a big help! You carried in so much stuff for them- they definitely couldn't have done it without you :)

Spring is starting to arrive - The trees have started to turn green, the flowers are starting to bloom, and Lathan is starting to get spring fever! I have always said that you are such an outdoor boy and it is so true - the minute it starts to warm up, you are ready to be outside. You want to be at the park, on the swing set, on a nature walk, riding your jeep, playing basketball, and playing baseball. I am really happy to see that and we definitely encourage that also - there is no reason to waste beautiful days by being indoors watching television or playing on the iPad. You will be playing t-ball with a few preschool buddies this summer (Oh my gosh, I CAN NOT WAIT to watch you out there playing!!!!! I am SOOOO EXCITED!) Anyhow, you will be playing t-ball BUT you think that you are too big to hit off a tee - you always make daddy pitch to you. You are really good though and can usually always hit most of his pitches - we keep trying to explain to you that "Tball" isn't for babies and you will have to use the tee when you play this summer. We also have tried to explain that you do not throw the bat as hard as you can when you hit AND you do not throw the ball at your friends as an attempt to get them out. (This should be an interesting t-ball league.) :)

Spring Break was last week and your daycare and preschool was closed; you did not seem to mind at all though - that just meant a whole lot of time with Mama! The Monday of Spring Break you actaully woke up with a fever and a bad cough so I stayed home from work with you, the next two mornings you came with Mommy to work and then we went home in the afternoons, and Thursday and Friday - Daddy and Mama were both off and we did fun things! Thursday we went to the Zoo and played and then went to Potwin Pottery. That is a pretty cool place - you choose the ceramic that you want to paint and then you decorate it however you'd like. A week later, you get it back and it has been glazed, baked, and polished. You (of course) chose a T-Rex; we spent a lot of time painting it blue, re-painting it green, giving it spots, painting over the spots, and giving it spots again. At one point, Daddy got a little frustrated and told you that we were not going to paint the entire dinosaur again.... "Daddy, this is my day." HA! You told him! Daddy just laughed and said "You are right - let's paint him again." Friday of Spring Break, we headed to Wichita! It was Uncle David's "Match" ceremony - this was the day that he found out where he will be headed for his residency. During the ceremony, Daddy took you and the girls to an Exploration Museum- he said that place was AMAZING and so incredibly huge. While you were there, we found out that Uncle David made his number one match at Barnes-Jewish/Washington St. Louis for anesthesiology. Although I am so sad to see him and Aunt Sheena move farther away - this is an amazing opportunity for them and St. Louis has a lot of really cool things for us to do when we visit. We spent the rest of the day just hanging out at their apartment - you were exhausted so we headed home around 6.

Another really fun thing we got to do recently was to go to The University of Kansas Natural History Museum - Poppy and Auntie have taken you there before but Daddy and Mama had not gotten the chance to go. That place was amazing too! They had a lot of dinosaur fossils - you were in awe of them. It is still so shocking to see how much you know... you were telling us about all of the dinosaurs and you know SO much about all of them too! Speaking of that, you also surprised the heck out of Mama the other night....you started talking about the solar system. "Venus is the hot planet, it has volcanoes on it." "Mercury is the smallest." "Mars is the red planet - It has two moons." " Uranus lies on its side." "We live on Earth." "Saturn has rings." "Jupiter is the biggest planet." I am ashamed to admit this but I did have to google these things to make sure you were right...AND YOU WERE! Good Lord, you are a GENIUS!!!

Last night Mama was trying to get you to eat your vegetables and I told you that if you do not eat them, you will never get big. Without missing a beat, you said "That's fine...you want me to stay small anyhow." Dang kid, you out-smart me every time.

Oh Dear Lathan.... You can be quite the confusing stinker sometimes. Let me explain.....

Every morning you help make Mama's coffee for me - you pick out the K-cup for Mama's Keurig, place it inside, and press the start button. Well, earlier this week you told me that you wanted to have Leonardo the Ninja Turtle make Mama's coffee instead. I said OK and sat you and Leonardo on the counter top to get the coffee started.... you take Leonardo's turtle finger and press the "Start" button on the coffee pot....and then you IMMEDIATELY begin to bawl. "I wanted to make your coffee! Not Leonardo!"

????

I was dumbfounded, I had absolutely no idea what to say or do. You were completely hysterical. I tried to explain that you were the one holding Leonardo and you were the one that made him push the start button?

After several minutes, you finally agreed to help Mama get a glass of ice water instead. I will never fall for the Leonardo trap again...that Ninja Turtle is NOT allowed to make my coffee! :) 

 Four Years Old!!!!!!


My little four year old boy - perfect in every single way. You no longer look like a baby, you no longer look like a toddler - you are such a little man these days. Your 4T clothes are already too small for you - you certainly have your daddy's height and body structure. Your arms are very long so a lot of your shirts no longer fit in them... You are going to break the bank if you do not stop growing soon!

The day before your birthday, we celebrated at your preschool! They have very strict rules as to what you can bring as a snack - you chose to bring Lightning McQueen gummies! Mama snuck out of work and came for the birthday celebration - you had a birthday crown that you were wearing, you were the leader of the class, everyone sang you happy birthday, and then you got to share your yummy gummies with all of your friends. You were certainly feeling pretty special :) Your actual birthday, Mama took off work and we just hung out together! We met Auntie and Kambree at Pizza Hut so you could eat your favorite lunch (DUH! PIZZA!!!) and then the two of you played in the play-place for such a long time. You crashed when you got home....of course Mama laid with you because I just cannot get enough of the Lathan sleepy snuggles. You still rub my cheeks as a way to put yourself to sleep. :) Your spiderman birthday party was so the day after your birthday and it was perfect! The living room was packed with your most favorite people and you got SO many cool things!!!! There were spiderman decorations everywhere! (Mama had thought she was cutting back this year but as I started to decorate more and more, I realize that was not actually the case at all. OOPS!) You had a blast though!

My four year old baby boy, Everytime Mama looks at you - you make my heart melt. You are as sweet as can be... you tell Mama how beautiful you think I am and how I am your girlfriend. One day you put both hands on my cheeks and told me I was your most favorite girl ever. Those are the moments that I will forever lock away in my memory bank...someday I will no longer be your number one girl, you will be too big for cuddles and snuggles (Yes, I am crying as I am writing this...) but it is true. Someday you will outgrow Mama..I will treasure every moment I have with you as my sweet little boy. Although you will always be my baby, reality is that you will stop cuddling, you will become more independent with every passing day... I love you Lathan Rush. Words cannot even describe how much.

Christmas is so magical with you. We spent so many nights driving around looking at Christmas lights- your eyes would just light up, even if the house had a simple strand or two- you loved seeing any lights at all. We spent so many hours singing and dancing to Christmas music (your favorites this year were I want a hippopotamus for Christmas, The little drummer boy, frosty, and Rudolph.) mama and you had several baking days and you would always suggest turning in Christmas music, then you would say "that'd be a good idea." So mama would turn on kids Christmas station and we would laugh and sing along. Making memories like that are so important - I have so many wonderful memories from my childhood and I want you to have the same. My parents didn't have the most money growing up but that never mattered to them or us- we had such a happy home and I want you to look back and smile about your childhood like mama does hers. You had a lot of fun making sugar cookies- you never took a bite of one (neither did mama, I don't like sugar cookies either) but you loved using the cookie cutters, helping me frost them, and pouring ridiculous amounts of sprinkles on each one. We made Nancy (your daycare provider) two large containers of goodies...when we were making the Reese's cookies (that you love) you told me that maybe nancy could make her own Reese's cookies and you would keep these. Ha. You kept some but nancy definitely got her cookies too.

You helped mama wrap a million presents - I smiled when I remembered how my Mom would corral us when we were trying to help when she wrapped. She would fold the paper and give us the important job of holding it down

So she could tape it. Thanks for the tip, mom. That was your super important job this Christmas too ;) 

Every year, Auntie takes the girls shopping at the Dollar Tree and they choose our presents for everyone. This was the first year I took you to do the same. Mama has two weeks off of work for the holidays but Daddy does not- so sadly, he missed out on this adorable shopping trip! You chose Planes wrapping paper and Ninja Turtle name tags that way everyone knew they were your gifts. You were so excited to shop- you were adamant that you were going to carry the shopping basketball by yourself, but that lasted about twenty seconds ;) I had the greatest time doing this with you- I think some of your gifts were so incredibly random but you were so proud and excited of each one...the randomness made them that much more special! Daddy got a blue loofah...when I asked if that was for a girl or a boy...you said "that's for a man!" Poppy got shampoo (the fact that poppy is bald made mama laugh inside.) Uncle Ezra got a large mirror, Auntie got a green bird, Kendalyn got a toy guitar, Kassidy got a rhino toy that makes sounds when you too it over, Kam got the same thing but in a tiger form, Aunt Sheena got a yellow bird, and uncle David got a green cup. "Uncle Dave will really love this." Was what you said as you chose it. In line to pay, you decided you needed to get mama "hand polish" so you chose a bright pink polish for me and a toy motorcycle for yourself. We came home and wrapped them up immediately :) 

Daddy did hi infamous Christmas Eve shopping, so you and me went to Grinchmas" with auntie, uncle Ezra, and the girls. It was a church program that was based around the grinch ...absolutely adorable! You were in awe! I so wish our church did big productions like that...it was definitely amazing. 

Christmas morning, we woke you up and you were so excited to see if Santa had came! You had set out cookies and milk for him the night before and you said you were going to try and listen for him. When we woke you up, you told us that you didn't think he had came because you dint hear him. However, when you made it to the living room and saw all the presents under the tree...you could not have been anymore excited! You ran to see if Santa had eaten your cookies- which he had! Dusty was also sitting there in he cookie plate so in sure he helped Santa eat the incredibly sprinkled sugar cookies ;). Our fireplace doors were still open from Santa coming down the chimney and get this... There was a piece of santas coal that must have gotten snagged and was stuck in the door!!! You were just certain he was going to come back for it. Santa had also left his magic Christmas glitter on the fireplace. Amazing!!!!! 

You were definitely spoiled this year - not just at our house but everywhere!!! At our house you got a big slide for the basement, lots and lots of toys, puzzles, movies, books, your stocking was over flowing with candy! We had a brunch at poppy's house which was so nice and relaxing. There was a million presents there for you too- talk about sensory overload. We joked that you were going to have a heart attack if you didn't slow down a bit, I had to tell you a few times to sit down and take some breaths. You were so cute! You did not quite understand that other people had presents to open too though...you were just running around trying to help everyone open their presents, you wanted to here every one of your presents out of their boxes and play with everything immediately. ( Poppy bought you a big batman play set which seems to be the Christmas hit this year. We have spent many hours playing with it since.) after Poppy's, we went to great grandma kathys where you had even more presets, and then great grandma party's for EVEN MORE!!!! By the time we got home around 8, mama and you were easy to crash. Which is exactly what we did. What a long but wonderful day!  

The Adventures of Dusty

Day 1: Toilet Papered our Living Room
Day 2: Dusty was sitting out with a tea cup full of milk and opened up your favorite breakfast - chocolate chip muffins. You caught him just in time though before he was able to eat anything!
Day 3:Dusty was fishing goldfish crackers out of the bathroom sink - he caught three!
Day 4: Dr. Dusty had a stethoscope on and was checking Mickey;s heart.
Day 5: That ornery little elf was sitting in the bathroom on the christmas tree - he had put christmas bows all over the bathroom mirror!
Day 6: Listen to this! Dusty colored, cut, and pasted a mustache onto your picture!
Day 7: Dusty put streamers across the hallway entrance so you had to break through them to get into the livingroom - SILLY DUSTY!!!!

Day 8: Buzz Lightyear and his Army-Men friends must have gotten tired of Dusty's ornery shenanigans - we found him taped to the wall while Buzz and the Army Men surrounded him. You were not very happy - you kicked over the army men and threw buzz on the stove to "cook" him. YIKES!
Day 9: Dusty turned our bananas into MINIONS!!! We found him sitting on top of them holding the permanent marker.
Day 10: We found Dusty sitting on top of your Woody remote controlled racecar - he apparently was racing Lightning McQueen last night and WON! Buzz and him must have reconciled their friendship because he was controlling the remote control and helped Dusty to win! :)
Day 11: We found that bad little elf in the bathroom with shaving cream on his face and your Daddy's razor - oh my!
Day 12: Every morning, you help make Mama's coffee. Dusty was trying to steal your job! We found him by my Keurig trying to make some coffee!
Day 13: Dusty was in the bathroom sitting on your Lightning McQueen potty...he had pooped marshmallows!!!!!!!
Day 14: Dusty decorated the dining room with christmas lights! They started on the kitchen floor and we followed the trail to the dining room - they were wrapped all around the table, chairs, and chandeliers! You loved it!!!
Day 15: Dusty and his friends (Mickey Mouse, Kitty Kat, and a Snowman) were playing Candyland this morning.
Day 16: Dusty tried to rob your piggy bank. We found him in the living room with your blue piggy bank and he had gotten some of your change out - we caught him just in time! We put it all back in your bank. Bad Dusty!
Day 17: Dusty cornered Rudolph with your marshmallow gun.
Day 18: I woke up and could not find my glasses anywhere - I woke you up and told you that I had lost them. You said "Mama, you need those!" So we woke up and walked around the house to find them...DUSTY had taken them and was wearing them as reading glasses! He was reading a book to all of his friends. You were so happy to have helped find my glasses.
Day 19: After waking you up, you told me that I had something all over my face. That bad little elf had drew ALL OVER Mama's face - he put spots all over my face and gave me whiskers. I looked like a cat!!!! You laughed and laughed!
Day 20: Dusty turned three rolls of toilet paper into a snowman! Dusty the Snowman!
Day 21: We found Dusty in the living room riding your bike!!!!
Day 22: OH MY GOODNESS! Dusty took all of your underwear and decorated the Christmas tree with them!!!!!!

Day 23: Dusty made you cinnamon rolls for breakfast! He said they were from the North Pole! 

Day 24: Silly Dusty crawled into your race car bed last night- we found him all warm and comfy under your covers and sound asleep on your pillow. (You were comfy in mama's bed) 

Day 25: Dusty bought you pajamas to wear and he wrapped them up for you! However, he must have gotten a little too excited bc he started to unwrap them himself- we found him halfway inside your present! 

Day 26: He was sitting on the milk and cookies plate you left for Santa. He must have helped Santa eat all those delicious sugar cookies you made him :)