Being 4 might just be the most fun ever.

Clothes hangers make great bows.

Living with Finn is a bit like living with a theater troupe. There are costumes, games, made-up songs, and so much silliness! I wouldn't mind hitting a pause button and holding him at this stage for a while longer.

Two weeks ago Finn made a special announcement: "Hey, Mommy, guess what I can say! Boy. Toy. Oy oy oy!" It was the first time I've heard him pronounce the "oy" sound correctly, ending a few years of Inspector Clouseau-speak. I don't know when or how, exactly, he figured it out, but I've enjoyed quite a few walks with him shouting, "Boy toy! Boy toy! Boy toy!" Oy indeed.

He's obsessed with playing Angry Birds on our iPhones, and the vocabulary of games has seeped into everyday play. There's lots of talk about leveling up and unlocking things. He could play Angry Birds for hours, but being a good mom I only let him play when it's convenient for me occasionally. The brothers play video games together remarkably well; I love hearing them share tips and help each other out. Last month he and Calvin picked out these cheap, rubbery toys they thought resembled the fabled birds.

Then Finn began constructing forts with blocks, and putting those "birds" to work.

Finn likes to get up and go in the morning. He's adopted a shortcut: He realized he can save a few minutes of tedium in the morning by getting dressed the night before. Works for me.

Costumes remain big, especially masks. He's been out and about as a knight, Superman, a pirate, and more lately. Last night he picked a Spider-Man costume for today. Here's Finn ready to go pick up a few things at Target.

Finn's on the sidelines for a third Little League season, and finally gets to step up to bat next spring. He's antsy to play something, so we signed him up for soccer. He played for about 15 minutes at the first class and is now completely IN LOVE with soccer. He's been trying to count the days to the next class, and wore his shin guards for several days in a row.

We're loving his enthusiasm and agreeableness. Finn struggled with jealousy around Calvin's party, and Calvin's hot-and-cold attitude toward sharing the new toys didn't help. But Finn pulled through it and has been weirdly generous since. The boys got candy at the snack shack following a baseball game, and Calvin ate all of his. The next day, as Finn opened his bag of leftovers, Calvin sobbed. These words actually came out of Finn's mouth: "You know, I think I could share my candy with you, Calvin, because I have a lot of candy here." We're all learning from this little one.

But some things we don't want to emulate. Like this outfit: