The Big A

Big A.

BIG. A! That is the kind of statement this kid makes.

A is all boy. It is so fun for me to see how his mind processes every situation. He quickly figures out how to throw or kick each toy he picks up. He loves, Loves, LOVES his cars. He lines them up, carries them around, plays with them all day, travels with them in the car, sleeps with them, and tries to bathe with them.

A has a keen mind. When driving to a familiar destination, A tells me when to turn and where. He loves to look out the window and spot the trucks, trains and other fast cars. He especially loves "big hills" that we get to drive down - provided we go fast enough. When we spot a train moving on the tracks, he says, "Look, Mom!! It's a POTTY TRAIN!" This is a term he has always used since his potty training days. He thinks the word train (to teach) and train (something that moves) are the same word.

I think A is going to be an engineer when he grows up. His favorite toys to play with are board games and puzzles. His concentration is unmatched as he puts together complex puzzles that are well above his age level. For quiet time, I often let him play with a game (Connect Four or Perfection) and he is riveted. For hours.

A is tender. He can be so extremely sweet with his siblings. Especially Little E. Hugging her, kissing her, giving her toys. Making sure she's happy and included. He loves to play with Miss M, and be included in J's games. His family is important to him and he appreciates being acknowledged as an key member of the family.

A is handsome. Watch out, Ladies.

A feels intensely. What he believes, he is most passionate about. His reactions are 110%. Nothing mellow or in between about him. His emotions are quickly turned on, and take a while to turn off. This makes us all a little more tired by the end of the day.




His hugs are seriously the best. Snuggling with a baby is the best! All moms out there know what I'm talking about. Then those babies grow into toddlers and preschoolers and although they're still fun to hug, it's not quite the same as snuggling with a baby. But, A is still so fun to snuggle with, even though he's almost four.

I also have to include here that A is pretty intuitive for someone so young. He has figured out how to diffuse my reactions almost immediately. As soon as he does something bad (and let me tell you, he's done some doozies) He rushes over and gives me the sweetest hug while saying, "I'm sorry mom. I won't do that again. Sorry. Sorry, mom. Don't be mad, mom." It softens my heart immediately and I can no longer be mad. Pretty smart for a three year old! I don't know how he does it. But it works every time! It's better than me leaving the room, or giving myself a time out, or counting to ten.

And, oh, how A loves to sing! Once he finds a song he likes, he works on memorizing it. He is a little tone deaf, but that makes his singing all the more adorable. Some of his favorites: I Am a Child of God, I Love to See the Temple, Baby's Boat, and a few others but I'm not sure of the titles; the primary songs that begin, "I am a builder," and "Let us gather in a circle." Andrew sings that one "Let us scatter in a circle." A term we've all fondly adopted. Now we'll probably forget the correct words. :)

Speaking of tone deaf, Big A speaks at two volumes. Loud and LOUDER. Our home teacher comments on it each time he comes over. It makes me laugh. Hey, when you're in a big family, you do what it takes to be heard. I can't blame him.

A has a sparkle in his eye. Sometimes (OK, lots of times) it's a sparkle of mischief. He loves to tease. But the sparkle melts my heart. Makes me want to hug him and shower him with kisses.

When A is hurt or scared, he prays right away. When I smashed his finger in the car door, he said the most sincere prayer that his finger would get better. I loved hearing this prayer because he has a tendency to be silly during prayers or family night. This makes me wonder how much of the gospel principles he is understanding. But I know that he's learning the most fundamental things.

I also feel like Big A and I have a special connection. We are attached to each other and I love being in his company.

A has made me a better parent in every way. With my older two, I learned how to put out fires while waiting for difficult phases to pass. However, Big A has humbled me as a parent like you wouldn't believe! I have had to sharpen my intuition. I have had to pray harder than ever before. I have done significant research on how to solve parenting problems. This has helped my problem solving skills in general. I have even improved my cleaning skills since life with A means cleaning up more disasters than one could fathom. And I know there are more that are coming. I look forward to those. Well, what I mean is, I look forward to the time when I can look back on all those disasters and laugh.

And there you have Big A.

Being his mom has been an experience for which I am deeply grateful.

I love him to pieces.