XVI. Isaac

World, be jealous: you don't get to be this boy's mother!

Isaac came into the world with his arm next to his head, like Superman.  And then he started running and jumping and climbing.

Okay, maybe not exactly.  But Isaac is an adventurer.  He is not cautious; he wants to be big and try new things.  From the time he could crawl, he was climbing stairs.  By the time he could walk, he could get himself onto the counter top (we believe he would have been capable of reaching the ceiling above the fridge if we hadn't caught him in time).  He has no fear.  He will jump into a pool with no sense of danger and no life jacket.  It really is amazing, sometimes, that this child is still alive.  In fact, the first time we almost needed stitches was last week.  He tells me he hit his head on his pillow during nap time, but I'm suspicious.  He must have had the pillow between his head and something much more injurious.

Not to be outdone, this boy started speaking in complete sentences at a very young age.  He narrates everything that goes across the ticker-tape of his brain.  And he is smart!

This is a boy who knows what he wants.  He is in a phase right now in which he needs things to be done in a particular way, or the world might just fall apart.  You know, the phase that Joseph is finally growing out of...

Isaac has a sense of humor.  He likes to laugh.  He likes to make up jokes.  He'll even laugh when everyone's laughing, even if he doesn't understand what's so funny.

Isaac is learning how to be obedient.  But sometimes he likes to push the boundaries as far as they will go first.  But one success, I think, is that he is learning the "first you have to ... then you can" concept.  He doesn't like to be told "no," so this works well for me.  But if I tell him "no," as sometimes must be done, then he'll say, "Mom, you're being mean."  And so I am.

Isaac is so righteous that he often hijacks prayers.  If it were up to him, he would say every prayer.  He also likes to hijack all the parts of Family Home Evening (prayers, songs, lesson, activity) if he can.

He will always be the first to help me bake or cook.  It really upsets him if he can't dump everything in the bowl, and he doesn't always have patience to let me finish measuring first.  He loves to help with dishes, which I really don't love.  But he jumps at any chance to play in the water and bubbles.

Isaac wants to be big.  Last week he asked if he could try out the potty.  It was not convenient for three reasons: 1) I was fixing the potty right then, 2) we were getting ready for a vacation, and 3) the new baby will be here very soon (and I don't want to have to potty-train twice due to regression).  Luckily, he hasn't brought it up much again since, and I'll wait a couple months before reminding him.

He has a favorite blankie, a.k.a. ngangie, a.k.a. ngnangie monkey (it has monkeys on it); not to be confused with his "blanket," which is the comforter on his bed.

You can probably tell that this boy is a pretty busy little boy.  I am constantly baby-proofing.  Especially making sure the doors are locked (did I tell you he walked himself to the park a few months ago?!).  The thing is, he is smart enough to undo every type of baby-proofing device known to man (I've watched him dismantle quite a few already), so he really could get into anything if the idea came into his head.

Isaac loves to read.  And spell.  Well, I read to him (a lot), and Bryan spells with him (most words are spelled "R-R-R," "I-I-I," or "E-I-E," if you didn't know.

Isaac is still learning how to share and be nice and gentle.  This boy is a work-in-progress.  But he is such a fun kid.  He brings an element of excitement to our family.

I love him.  I cannot imagine my life without my Isaac!