All this focus on Ashy Boy and someone else has been getting older too. No, not me and Bear... well we have, but we try not to think about it. I'm talking about my main man River. My heart breaker. The boy who single-handedly turned my life upside down and changed my heart forever, turning me into a stronger, yet softer and a whole lot weepier version of my former self.
At 3 and a 1/2 years old, River loves his little brother more than anything. When he gets sick, overly tired, sad or upset from getting in trouble, he begs for Baby Ash. He wants to be right next to him and by that I pretty much mean, sitting on top of him. Ash is his lovey, soothie, comforter. More than anything, I want my kids to be the best of friends and be close to one another for life. It melts my heart they are off to a good start.
He still sucks his thumb, or as my dad would say... "That boy has the cleanest thumb this side of the Mississippi!
Any word that has the letters BR in it, he pronounces with a BL instead. Instead of correcting it, I find myself asking him where his blown (brown) blanket is and telling him I will be right black (back).
He also pronounces the word girl as golo and thinks it is really funny to tell me that I am a boy and daddy is a golo. He loves opposite jokes and has been doing them since he could sign hot and cold.
River loves riding his trike, or as he calls it, his bike. He only rides with bare feet and likes to stash his shoes in the back compartment. He can make every walk last a ridiculously long time and on a super hot day, it really tests my patience, but children are what God gave us time for, so I suck it up and watch him pedal, stop, pedal, stop, pedal, stop, pick up rocks, store them in the back, pedal, stop, pedal stop, pick a dandelion, store it in the back, pedal, stop.... you get the picture.
He has a sweet tooth that could rival anyone on the planets and right now we are doing our best to get some healthy food in his body too. It has been a challenge, to say the least. Sweets make him so happy and veggies so grumpy, but as much as we love being the one who makes him smile, we are learning to say no. Well, I'm already good at it, but Bear is learning to say no, or at least getting better about sneaking him ice cream behind my back.
He has major attitude and finding that perfect parenting spot of teaching him, without breaking his spirit is going to be a quite the process. He has a forgiving heart, so I'm sure he'll let go of the times we don't get it right.
He loves to act things out and watch the playback on the camera. He is pretty shy in primary, unless they are role playing and then he is all in. He loves to sing and he does it under his breath almost all the time. Right now the songs I hear him sing the most are; Never, Never, Never Give Up (from Thomas the Train) The Books in the Book of Mormon and This Girl (Golo) is on Fire. The last one he picked up from his friend Alyson and it cracks me up.
He loves his friends and ask me about them often. "What is Hutch doing Mom?" "Where is Rocky and Sofia right now?" My answer is usually, "In bed River. Uh, oh... better hurry up, so they don't beat you to sleep." I think that tactic worked all of two times.
He will ask you the same question over and over again. Be prepared if you come and visit. He also loves to play repeat, where he repeats what you are saying. No one ever taught him this game, he just figured out this jewel all on his own. It probably stems from his love of playing follow the leader with the kids on the playground. I've never seen some one so observant of others. He will copy the slightest move. It's kind of ironic, but I think his ability to observe and copy others, is going to help him lead others one day. I don't know why, but it is just a bit of mother's intuition.
He literally makes me pull my hair out... Not joking... I've actually grabbed my hair in frustration, as I've tried to figure out an appropriate consequence, in a timely manner and come up with nothing and then, in the next instance, he's melting my heart again. "Oh Mom, you look so handsome." "I love you Mommy." "Mom, what's wrong? Are you fluster-ated at me? I so sorry mom." Ladies, I will do my best to make sure all this charm comes wrapped up tight in accountability, responsibility, sincerity and compassion.
He loves baring his testimony in church, which is pretty hushed and mumbled till he gets to the part where he says, "In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."
He has the worlds best laugh. It chimes like the bells on Santa's sleigh. I'm not lying.... it is magical.
He loves to go swimming and can hold his breath under water for a few seconds. He is super brave on water slides and especially loves any outing that Daddy comes with.
On walks, he points to people and says, "Let's go get that human." and "Mom, a human! She's not going to get away this time." I think he gets it from Hotel Transylvania and that just goes to show that a love of Adam Sandler is genetic.
I love my boy! I love how big and fast and brave he is getting with everything and I love how sweet and soft and tender he can still be with me. Oh... if only every child was loved the way I love River, the world would be a very different place. Flesh of my flesh, bone of my bone.
*By the way, all these photos are by Marianne Wiest Photography. She makes me love my kids even more, because she captures all the best things about them and then at the end of hard days, I look at their photos, while they are sleeping and all the bad melts away.