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!