J

I sure love this kid! I think though that he is the child that one might term my 'payback' kid. Seems that every parent has one child that seems to give them a run for their money and I am betting that J will be my child. He is a middle child just like me!

I love watching him kiss JB on the head.
I love to hear the pitter patter of his feet running upstairs, even though he should be in bed.
I love watching him pull all the cushions off the couch and do somersault after somersault as he laughs.
I love it when he is sent to his room and 2 seconds later he is yelling "Momma, me have betta attitude".
I love to hear him laugh while in the shower with B.
I love praying with him at bedtime and hearing him ask to pray for the same things over and over (cows, water, our friends Mark and Tomo - not sure why but when he decides to pray for something, the request comes night after night for months...).
I love hearing him speak - today he said probably his longest sentence ever "Tell Dad to come downstairs please". He accentuates every word and has this unusual deep tone often times.
I love to watch him ride his scooter, as he ackwardly leans back as he pushes off.
I love his curls.
I love it that he is still small enough to easily pick up and carry, even when having a tantrum.
I love the sign he uses for 'treat' when he has gone in the potty.
I love to watch his determination when he opens the yogurt by himself.
I love his sense of adventure.
I love laying down with him and taking a nap.
I love to watch him chase after the soccer ball when his little legs get to going.
I love to hear him yell "I did it".
I love how he will fall asleep in his closet during nap time.
I love hearing his screams throughout the house.
I love when he puts on B's pajamas and they just hang off of him.
I love watching him stack couch cushions 5 high and jumping off them.
I love the fact that he is so independent and wants to do so much by himself (as frustrated as I get with his 'No, let me do it')
I love it when he hides behind a certain chair because he is eating something he should not be (he thinks I can't hear the wrapper making noise).
I love the way he holds out his hand when he says "no".
I love to watch him in the video store as he grabs everything off the shelves with great excitement (and puts them back when asked).
I love to find you hiding under your bed when you are doing something you should not be and you go there to hide when you hear me coming.
I love how excited he gets about going fishing.
I love watching him play in the sandbox.
I love it how whenever I spank him and he starts crying the one thing he wants is for me to hold him - despite the discipline.
I love his curiousity.
I love watching the drool run down his chin.
I love his level of noise and often don't want to silence him but feel I should because of others or where we are.
I love to watch him push the child's cart in the grocery store as he hops/skips behind it (even though one time he got away from me and a store employee had to chase him down...I could hear him all the way across the store, just couldn't catch him).
I love to hear him say "knock it off"
I love to hear the 'gallop' sound as he runs/skips down the hallway.
I love to see him wrapped up in his towel after a shower with water dripping off his nose.
I love to see him get so excited when Dad walks through the door.
I love to watch him run naked through the house.
I love how he puts his clothes on backwards and sometimes inside out.
I love to watch him carefully wrap a napkin around his popsicle.
I love to watch him try to roast a marshmallow.

It will be so awesome to watch him as he continues to grow and develop. That sense of adventure, curiousity and determination is going to be quite the combination. Will be interesting to see what other gifts and talents develop that God has given him.