Mr. Man's Gallery
4 1/2 years old
Summer 2008

"Of all the animals, the boy is the most unmanageable." ~Plato

Well, have you ever seen a more handsome red-head in your life?!!!
Our redhead! What can we say about our Mr. Man? He is certainly one of a kind in every way! He brings to our hearts joy and laughter. For when he laughs, it comes from a place that only a truly innocent child can conjure up-it comes from a the belly and a genuine hearty sense of good humor. And although it is difficult for others to make him laugh, he is quick to make others break into smile with his witty and intelligent sense of how his world works. Over the last four years he has become such a caretaker of me when his Dad is at work.
He is careful to not hurt me and careful to say kind things to make me feel loved. He is so sensitive to the words and tone in which we speak to him, that when being disciplined, it is not the discipline that throws him into despair-but rather the way in which we impart that discipline upon him. From a very soft and sweet heart, he shows me everyday some act of wanting to please me. The simple act of picking a flower for my hair and taking the time to pay attention to detail by saying, "You look so pretty with that flower in your hair mom!" is the exact example of my wonderfully gifted oldest son.

There are no words to describe the way a mothers' heart feels to have her sons near her, and for them to show only love, forgiveness, patience and a desire to protect and please their mother. He brings to my heart a happiness and sense of pride that I could not imagine before I had a son. To see his curious and determined eyes, makes me remember why I chose to stay at home and be present in my childrens lives.

The list of things
that Mr. Man can do is enormous and ever growing.
From back flips and bike trips to writing his entire alphabet perfectly,
he continues to amaze us everyday!

Here is a list of things that he likes:

Chicken Noodle Soup
Riding his Spiderman Scooter
Riding his Bike without the training wheels and scaring the entire neighborhood by doing pop-wheelies off of their curbs
Playing Baseball
Playing Wii
Doing flips and handstands at will and everywhere
Writing his letters
Reading books about the ocean
Swimming. diving, doing flips into the pool and generally giving the life guards a real worry while on duty
Building houses with blocks (but houses that have driveways, bushes and doghouses)
Ice Cream
Transformers
Playing Race Cars with Austin (but only if he wins)
Racing, running and generally being in perpetual movement
Science Experiments
Collecting Bugs for our habitat
Giving Hugs (the best tight hugs in the world)
Doing nice things for mommy
Cooking
Cool Shoes (ZStraps are the new favorite)
Hanging out with Oma and Opa
Generally teasing his older sister
Jumping on the trampoline
Last but not least-anything with sugar in it!


Here are some memorable quotes:

When finding out his friend was bleeding from a cut, and entering the room after her mother had cleaned her up, he said,"Oh! I missed all the good blood!"

"Mom-I want to get a new 'Bruela' please!" which is funny to us because he hardly ever mispronounces words.

When given a present from our neighbor while playing outside at 3:30 p.m., he was told he could open it later after he took a shower. About five minutes later, when I realized he wasn't outside with us any more, he appeared-newly showered with pajamas on and said,"I took a shower mom. Can I have my present now?" (he is too quick for me!)

When getting into the goody basket on top of the refrigerator, I walked into the kitchen and promptly told him to get off of the counter, when he interrupted me and said, "But mom-you looked hungry, so I got you a treat". "I said,"Son. I am not hungry right now." He said,"Then it's okay if I have it right?" (is anyone else thinking Bill Cosby in the cookie jar right now?)

When told it is dangerous to do back flips on the bed-he said,"You're right mom. It is dangerous for you, so you shouldn't do it. But I am smaller than you are, so I can fit on the bed."

When told to be careful at our first trip to the pool this year because I didn't think he could swim without a life jacket, he was in the water like a fish, before I could even finish my sentence-and has been swimming ever since!

What I hope for him:

That he grows up to be sensitive and strong
That he takes care of his friends and family
That he utilizes his drive for perfection to accomplish whatever dreams he has
That he discovers who he is early in life and never forgets it
That he uses his wit and charm to astound people in humor and academics
That he know how deeply his parents love him, and how much of a fan his mother is at all of his games
That he knows how amazing a person he is in the eyes of God

These lists are just a few reasons that Mr. Man is one of a kind! My little personal Opie in my very own, slightly twisted, Mayberry world. He is our red head!

If a man has been his mother's undisputed darling he retains throughout life the triumphant feeling, the confidence in success, which not seldom brings actual success along with it. ~Sigmund Freud