Wednesday, August 17, 2011

asa at three

This look is very 'Asa'... a little mischievous, a little sweetheart

Mr. Asa Joseph Pulley. What a character. It is so fascinating (and challenging) to see how different each one of your children turns out. Which means, if you happen to figure out how to deal with one child, don't expect it to give you any sort of advantage for the next. Because it won't. They require a whole new set of instructions. But, it's great! They each add something different to the mix. And, Asa definitely adds a lot. He is such a fun, lovable, naughty little guy. Here are a few things about Asa:

1. He is so very affectionate. He loves to give hugs and kisses. Especially when he has gotten in trouble. It's quite hard - even for his brothers - to stay mad at him, because he forces a big hug and kiss upon you if he suspects you are mad at him. It would be easy to assume that he is a master manipulator, but I really think he needs it for his own reassurance that he is still loved - despite his actions.
2. He is very good at saying he's sorry (again, I think he hates the thought of you staying mad at him). If he has a melt down, or carries on (and on) about something, he will make sure and say sorry afterwards - it's sort of like he will all of a sudden realize that he's being a tad bit ridiculous (or realizes his crying isn't going to work) and so he abruptly stops and apologizes.
3. He is very playful. He is always up for chasing some brothers or letting them chase him.
4. He is usually very sweet and lovable... unless he decides that he is in the mood to be a stinker - then watch out.
5. He wants to try to do everything himself (he is three, after all). As long as I let him give it a try, he's good at asking for help after he realizes that he can't do it: "I do it... help me."
6. A few days ago I would have said that we are completely potty trained, but alas, we are having a few too many accidents to claim such. Hopefully, with a diligent mother, we will be official within the next few weeks.
7. He is very silly. He loves to laugh and he has a pretty good sense of humor. Some times he surprises me with the things he comes up with. Of course, I can't think of a good example at the moment.
8. He always wants to eat the food from someone else's plate - even is it's the same exact thing that's on his own. He especially loves to sit close by when I'm feeding Elise and still her cheese, bananas, avocado... whatever he can get his thieving paws on.
9. He asks "Why?" a lot. Usually when I'm getting after him about something. And, he uses the most innocent voice, like he really had no clue that he shouldn't be running around with a knife. And, after you explain "why", he follows it with a big, "Oohhh", like, it makes so much sense to him now... not that it means he won't commit his crimes again.
10. He also answers everything with, "Because." If I ask him why he did something, or why he got in trouble, the answer is always, "Betause."
11. He is a little mimic to everything his brothers do - which is why I try to stress to them that they need to think about what they say/do, because he will inevitably copy them. It's pretty cute to listen to him as we are driving. He's like a little parrot, copying everyone's conversations.
12. When he runs, he punches his arms out to try and look like a train. At least I think that's how it started, but now he just does it out of habit. It's cute now... not so much if he's still doing it when he's twelve.
13. His voice is very expressive. Even though he has had difficulty with his speech, he has always had great inflection in his voice. When he repeats something back to you, he turns it into a question and his voice usually goes into his highest pitch, like he is shocked about what you have just told him. Or, say, he just went potty, he asks, "I get gogic bips (chocolate chips)?!", in an extremely high pitched voice. Hard to explain, but super cute.
14. Oh, and he is really into wearing makeup lately:


A little birthday fun at a park. Notice the identical, unexciting birthday cake as Isaac's. This year it's all about quick and easy (and gluten free - which is part of the unexciting :)

Too bad this picture is blurry - his face cracks me up!


isaac at seven

What a great kid! I am so blessed to have Isaac in my life and it's easy to list the reasons why. He has so many wonderful/unique qualities that make him who he is. Here is a list of things about Isaac at seven - mostly good, with just a few annoying ones... I have to keep it real, right? :) But, one thing is for certain - I love this kid to pieces - the good, the bad (which isn't much), and everything in between.

We had some cousins help us celebrate Isaac's birthday with an ATV ride (which covered them from head to toe in dirt) and some cake. After that we went on over to the carnival, where I managed to get sick enough to puke! No joke. What a wuss!

On with the list:
1. I think the word that best sums up Isaac is persistent. Many of the characteristics on this list all boil down to the fact that it is his nature to keep pushing, and pushing, and pushing... which puts a lot of pressure on us as his parents. If guided correctly, this could end up being a great quality, but if misguided, he'll just end up pushing people's buttons throughout his life.
2. Another word that strongly describes Isaac - inquisitive. I've mentioned before how Isaac is constantly asking questions. He has this dire need to know how everything - and I mean EVERYTHING - in this vast universe functions. I was talking to his new teacher today and she told me what a great kid he is and then adds, "And, he is so inquisitive!"
3. He does not like action heroes. And, he'll make sure you know this. But, Transformers are okay.
4. One of his most favorite activities is riding his bike. Which is why I was surprised that he wanted to go to Soldier Hollow so bad - there will be no more riding bikes to school. I guess he likes the thought of cross country skiing (which he has never done) more than riding his bike.
5. Oh wait, I thought of another word for him - sensitive. He gets emotional and is extremely sensitive to things like: spiritual moments/conversations/prayers, missing his dog or a grandpa he never knew, being in the outdoors, discussing the fact that we may eat our chickens someday or Asa holding said chickens by the neck... just to name a few.
5. He is a very social kid. He loves his friends (even if he just met them 5 minutes ago) and cousins. He wants in on any sort of social gathering he catches wind of and DOES NOT like to leave until everyone else has. You can almost guarantee an emotional scene of Isaac crying and begging to stay longer because there was something he didn't get to do before his departure. It doesn't matter how long we have been there, he will have his moment. I try to get him to understand the concept of overstaying your welcome, but he doesn't seem to get it in the slightest.
6. He loves to laugh - he's a pretty light hearted guy. Not to say that he can't be very serious - he can and is, but he loves a good joke, a funny story, and his main concern in life is to have a good time.
7. He is an engineer in the making. What kind of engineer is yet to be determined. If there is wires, pipes, water, electricity, engines, pumps, batteries, lights, explosives or tools involved, you have his undivided attention - whether you want it or not. He is fascinated/obsessed with figuring out how ev-er-y-thing works, what purposes they serve, and all the details about them. And when possible, he has to do this in a very hands on way - often requesting (or just going ahead without permission) to take things apart that are supposedly broken, or in need of his expertise.
9. I reckon that Isaac will be a big traveler/tourist when he grows up (fanny pack and all). Whenever he sees any sort of destination spot on TV, or hears of someone else's adventures, or watches shows like UP, he inevitably says, "Can we go there someday?" And, he is constantly talking of the places we have been and asking when we will go back. As of now, his favorite places are Moab and Zions, says he. Another thing about Isaac's traveling, is his need to know everything about the place he is visiting. He is that person who stops at every kiosk or trail sign to read all the facts.
10. He loves scary, suspenseful, or adventure type movies. He asked to watch my favorite movie a while back, so I popped in The Princess Bride, and he loved it. Which made me happy. It's exciting for me to have a kid old enough to enjoy things that I did back in the day. Of course, I did try to get him to watch What About Bob the next day, but it didn't do it for him. Which makes sense; it wasn't the humor in The Princess Bride that captured his interest - it was the adventure and fantastic special effects.
11. He doesn't handle the word 'No' very well. I know that most kids don't like to be told 'no', but Isaac will push and push and whine, to try to get us to change a decision, and it drives me crazy. What drives me crazy, is the fact that he consistently earns a consequence when he does this, but he still does it. Constantly. I know I need to learn to loosen up a lot, but come on!
12. One more annoying tendency of his (and then I'll stop complaining about my wonderful kid), is the frequent question, "How do you know?", after I've just answered one of his questions. Ahh! I know I'm not the most credible source of information, and I'm sure that I do answer many questions incorrectly, but I'm not too prideful to answer, "I don't know", when I really don't. So, the constant doubt of my intelligence is down right hurtful.