XV. Joseph

My Joseph.

I guess a huge reason why I want to write these posts about my children is because I'm extremely curious to know if they'll grow up to be bigger versions of their young selves.

Joseph is a third child, poor thing.  I try not to change my parenting, but the inevitability is that he has always vied and will always be vying for my attention among several other children.  Which brings me to point number one: Joseph is super-competitive.  He always wants to be first.  Everything is a contest.  And he gets so frustrated, to the point of melt-down, if he can't win.  And the reality is that he is still smaller than the older two, and often he just can't win.  And he fights back.  I told Caleb recently, "You better be nice to him now, because someday he'll be bigger than you."  Even if Joseph doesn't grow taller than his older brother, he is certainly built stockier.

In that way, he is much like his father.  Stocky, competitive, and athletic.  We certainly have noticed his natural athletic abilities.  He also stays interested in sports longer than anyone else.  I imagine he will be driven to excel at something, like his dad.

Joseph doesn't take a back seat to anyone academically, either.  He is on his way to reading, being able to spell and sound out many words.  He can also calculate simple math problems in his head.  We are going to do a different preschool co-op with him this year (wish me luck!).  I think he will exceed expectations, but I'm sure he will love the repetition and just being with friends.

He is starting to become more aware of his surroundings and renew his sense of humor.  We used to call him "Joyseph" when he was a baby.  And then that sweet disposition disappeared completely.  All my kids went through a phase, starting at about three years old, when things had to be done in a certain way or the world fell apart.  Joseph was a bit extreme in this phase, and nothing ever went his way.  But now I am seeing that he is growing out of it.  Something in his eyes tells me he is starting to "get it."

Joseph loves to help.  He will be the first person to help me cook food.  And he will be the first person to weed the garden.  He loves dirt.  You will often find this boy covered in dust.

He loves Lightning McQueen and Mario and the color red.  For a while his favorite color changed to blue, because "blue are the good guys and red are the bad guys."  But now it's back to red.  He often dresses himself, and you will likely find him in a new red outfit as long as the clothes are clean.  He is very independent.  He likes to check in with me frequently, but he certainly wants to do things his own way.

Something else about Joseph is that he is very cautious.  He is not too willing to try new things.  And he is not likely to bow to pressure either.  If he says no, he means it.

A warning: this boy can be a chatter-box.  If you choose to engage him, he will talk your ear off.  And he will be super-animated, with great expressions, vocal inflections, and hand gestures.

I also think Joseph is going to grow up to be amazingly handsome.  :)

My Joseph keeps me on my toes, but I completely adore him.  I don't know what I'd do without my Joseph.