Ah, Asa. I sure do love this kid. He's quite the character that brings a lot of joy to our family... a little madness at times, but mostly joy :). Here's my list for my four year old, Asa:
1. He is LOV. A. BLE! He has such sweetness about him that it's quite easy to be smitten with him. Even his dear preschool teachers seem to have a special place in the hearts for him. His laughter makes you laugh and his smile makes you smile. He's contagious.
2. BUT, he can sure be a little stink! When he's in the mood to antagonize, disobey, or be naughty, he can sure drive us nuts. Especially, when he's laughing about it the whole time. Like I said, he's a character!
3. He is very affectionate. Luke doesn't particularly appreciate this about Asa. Which is interesting, because Luke is very touchy feely himself. But, Asa wants all of his family to receive equal amounts of his affection so he forces it on Luke. If he doesn't hug and kiss his big brothers before they leave to school, I have to spend the next five minutes consoling his tender heart. If you are upset with him, or show any frustration with his stubbornness, he will insist on hugging you before he can proceed to receiving a consequence or correction.
4. He is SO SLOW! Eating, dressing, getting in the car, pooping, telling a story... it all requires a lot of patience... and planning ahead. Part of it is that he obviously has no sense of urgency (even when I'm laying on the pressure thick) and part of it is he has to do things on his terms (which means the pressure I apply just works against me). I'm not sure why I still pray for patience. It's apparent that I have been given the perfect little being to teach me patience in abundance. I guess I didn't expect to have to work for it so hard :). I do feel like I am doing much better with this though and I'm pretty sure if I keep it up, I will technically be considered a saint by the time he is 18 yrs old.
5. He thinks he has to plant any and every seed that he comes across. If he eats an apple, he saves the seeds. If I cut up veggies, he'll dig through and save the seeds. Any seed he may spy outside, he saves. Then he puts them in a baggy (he puts EVERYTHING in baggies) and saves it for the right time to plant them. I guess he is just copying me - I have saved a variety of seeds from plants and stick them in a baggy... he just takes it to a whole new level.
6. He also insists on collecting just about every rock or leaf that he crosses paths with. I know this is a kid thing, but he borders on compulsion. Unfortunately, I'm not the best pocket checker and so I end up washing about 5 lbs of rocks every time I do laundry.
7. Something that I hear from him on a daily basis is, "You're my best mom." Which is good. My self esteem might take a hit if his other mom moves to #1. You know what's sad? I take these little sayings for granted. Sweet things that my say every day. Will I notice the day that I don't hear it anymore? I need to appreciate it while it lasts.
8. So, my kids like me to sing them a song when I tuck them in at night. We have our usual's: "You Are My Sunshine", "Please Think Of Me", "Rock-a-bye, Don't You Cry", "I Am A Child Of God"... but Asa always wants me to make up songs for him. And, he usually wants them to be about skeletons, eyeballs, or creep crawlies. I'm definitely not a song writer, so it can be pretty challenging. Luckily, he's pretty easy to please though - it doesn't need to make any sense to make him happy.
9. He talks SO MUCH! He always has something to say, and he is always saying it. Words always seem to be pouring from his mouth, kind of like a river - always running. Whether you can actually understand him half the time is another story. He has some speech issues that can make him hard to understand, but hopefully we're making progress. Interestingly, he goes to a speech class and his teachers have said that he doesn't talk much. He's definitely not a shy kid, so I find that fact interesting. Oh, to be a fly on the wall.
10. Asa is a happy, easy going spirit. He wants to play, tag along with his big brothers, and occasionally be told how big he is getting. He loves his family and will be friends with literally any body who is willing to play with him. I feel so blessed to have him in our family and I'm grateful for all the lessons this loving little man is teaching me.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Saturday, August 4, 2012
isaac. turns. EIGHT!
This is definitely one of those moments in life that reminds you just how fast time is going (and how old you are getting)... sort of surreal. My first born turned eight, which means that he was also baptized. So cool! It was complete joy to watch Adam baptize him and see the Spirit radiate from his countenance.
Isaac is such a great kid. I see a goodness in him that has nothing to do with me, but everything to do with him being a stalwart spirit. I just hope I can do all in my power to guide him to the excellence that he's destined for. A few things about Isaac:
1. He is (and always will be) the definition of inquisitive. No, it never gets old.
2. He just wants to play, have a good time and laugh. He loves fun (yes, I realize that's sort of a kid thing). But really - if Isaac gets the slightest hint that a house guest (an uncle, an employee, a home teacher) will tolerate his peskiness, then he will bug and pester until he has literally driven them from our home, vowing never to return. We're working on personal space, but man, he sure is quick to get in on any rough housing. That being said, I am very glad that he does know how to have a good time - I've met plenty of uptight kids.
3. He may be playful, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have a serious side. He does. He can be quite the regulator (oldest child syndrome).
4. He is very sensitive - especially to spiritual things. This is probably the coolest thing about Isaac. I marvel at how easy it is for him to recognize the Spirit. He loves to talk about the gospel and God's creations. He loves to listen to "church music" and family stories. This is when I wish my dad were still here to sit on the porch with him talking and listening away. They would have gotten along quite well.
4. He has a great appreciation for the beauty of all of God's creations. He often suggests that we go out and look at the garden or sit on the porch or go on a hike. As playful and busy as he can be, he has an equal appreciation for stillness and relaxing.
5. He doesn't take no for an answer. He can be the most persistent little bugger - even when such persistence has earned him many a consequence. I do have faith that this trait can become a great strength so long as I can guide it in the right direction... no pressure, right?
6. He LOVES his grandmas, cousins, aunts, and uncles. He is border line ecstatic whenever he gets to be in their company. When I asked him if he'd rather go to a family reunion on his birthday or have a friend party - he didn't hesitate to choose his family.
7. He loves to shadow Adam - offering his two cents at any given opportunity. He definitely is mechanically minded like Adam and, with a few more years under his belt, will be well on his way to fixing engines, washing machines, or nuclear reactors.
8. He loves to eat. If it's something he likes, he could easily out-eat the most ravenous elephant.
9. And, most importantly, he still doesn't mind giving me a big ol' hug or holding my hand in public. Although, he has recently decided it is time to drop the "mommy" and start calling me "mom". I can handle that as long as he is never too cool for me to cover him with kisses.
Isaac is such a great kid. I see a goodness in him that has nothing to do with me, but everything to do with him being a stalwart spirit. I just hope I can do all in my power to guide him to the excellence that he's destined for. A few things about Isaac:
1. He is (and always will be) the definition of inquisitive. No, it never gets old.
2. He just wants to play, have a good time and laugh. He loves fun (yes, I realize that's sort of a kid thing). But really - if Isaac gets the slightest hint that a house guest (an uncle, an employee, a home teacher) will tolerate his peskiness, then he will bug and pester until he has literally driven them from our home, vowing never to return. We're working on personal space, but man, he sure is quick to get in on any rough housing. That being said, I am very glad that he does know how to have a good time - I've met plenty of uptight kids.
3. He may be playful, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have a serious side. He does. He can be quite the regulator (oldest child syndrome).
4. He is very sensitive - especially to spiritual things. This is probably the coolest thing about Isaac. I marvel at how easy it is for him to recognize the Spirit. He loves to talk about the gospel and God's creations. He loves to listen to "church music" and family stories. This is when I wish my dad were still here to sit on the porch with him talking and listening away. They would have gotten along quite well.
4. He has a great appreciation for the beauty of all of God's creations. He often suggests that we go out and look at the garden or sit on the porch or go on a hike. As playful and busy as he can be, he has an equal appreciation for stillness and relaxing.
5. He doesn't take no for an answer. He can be the most persistent little bugger - even when such persistence has earned him many a consequence. I do have faith that this trait can become a great strength so long as I can guide it in the right direction... no pressure, right?
6. He LOVES his grandmas, cousins, aunts, and uncles. He is border line ecstatic whenever he gets to be in their company. When I asked him if he'd rather go to a family reunion on his birthday or have a friend party - he didn't hesitate to choose his family.
7. He loves to shadow Adam - offering his two cents at any given opportunity. He definitely is mechanically minded like Adam and, with a few more years under his belt, will be well on his way to fixing engines, washing machines, or nuclear reactors.
8. He loves to eat. If it's something he likes, he could easily out-eat the most ravenous elephant.
9. And, most importantly, he still doesn't mind giving me a big ol' hug or holding my hand in public. Although, he has recently decided it is time to drop the "mommy" and start calling me "mom". I can handle that as long as he is never too cool for me to cover him with kisses.
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