My Boy

These days:

• Dade is very proud to be able to dress himself with no help. Sometimes his pants are on backwards all day, but that's ok.
• Dade is equally enthralled by being naked. He will run around after a bath yelling "wook at my naked!!!!", I think we have a bit of an exhibitionist on our hands.
• Dade likes to do somersaults and jumps for anyone who will watch.
• Dade is a very good big brother and brings Matia to the toys in the morning whispering phrases he's heard me say to her before, in a high, motherly voice "Hi Tia! You happy? You want to pway wiff toys? Shhh Daddy still sweeping"
• Most mornings Dade wakes me up by coming in and finding my big toe and tickling it, or holds it till I stir (which is pretty much immediate). Then he says in a stage whisper " I need a snack Mommy!"
• Some of his favorite "snacks" are: boiled eggs, noodles, grapes, strawberries, "wemonade", popcorn twists, apples, shredded wheat with a little milk to make them soft, ice cream (of course!), fries, hot dogs (uncooked ~ ick!)
  
• His current favorite movies are: Surfs Up, Cars, Robin Hood
• His favorite book is Farm Yard Tales an Usborne Book illistrated by Stephen Cartwright
• His favorite color is white
• His favorite songs are Johnny Appleseed, "dinky dink" (Skiminarinky Dinky Dink), Jesus Woves Me, Happy Berfday
  
• He loves cars, trucks, back hoes, excavators, air planes/jets, trains...pretty much anything that is motorized
• He likes to go to the fair and ride the rides, but he'll take the park as a perfectly acceptable (and free) substitute.
• He is a fearless swimmer, which gives me heart failure now and then, but we have tapered off the swimming lately because of the tantrums that result when it is time to go. Oy!!!
• Dade has a terrific memory, he memorizes stories, songs, and movies in a shockingly short amount of time with amazing accuracy.
• Dade is easy going and fun loving. He likes a good joke and already likes to tease and prank his gullible old mother.
• Dade has a defiant streak in him that we are working on changing into leadership skills (not sure how, but still) When asked to do, or not to do something he will defiantly say "No! I not going to do that!" or "I NOT wisten to you!" Sometimes he just states the obvious, "I am GRUMPY! I need a nap!" which almost made me fall over!
  
• Dade likes to cuddle with me and be near me and he dislikes it when I leave to do something, though Daddy will do once I'm gone. I will have to be careful, because my instinct is to protect and dote, but I want him to grow into a capable and strong little boy, then young man, so I'll have to curb my natural tendencies once in a while.
• Dade is negotiable, I can reason with him and bargain. I can quietly tell him why I want him to do something or not do something and he will often respond with a lightbulblikemoment, "oh! okay, okay, okay" like understanding has suddenly struck and he can't see why he didn't look at the situation from that perspective before! It's funny.
• Dade is soft hearted and very concerned about people. I recently showed him pictures of our cousins who had built little grass houses in their yard for fun, and he looked closely at the pictures and in a concerned soft voice asked me "Where is dem Mommy and Daddy? Where is dem house? Why dey under gwass?" He watches out for his sister all the time, though he can also let her have it if she is in his way, or has something he wants. Ahhh siblings.
• Dade likes playing with other kids VERY much. We've been on the road quite a bit this summer and the other day he asked out of the blue "Mommy? We go to church and pway wiff de kids?" This was part of our routine when we were living in my home town. I'm going have to hook up with a play group somewhere when we get home to our new place and get some semblance of routine established. There's always nursery/children's church on Sundays, and the fact that Dade looks forward to going to church is a good thing indeed.

Dade will be 3 in just a few short weeks. He is not a baby anymore (sigh), he's my boy.