The O & A & E Files

Dear Asher,

Someday you might read these records. You may be tempted to think you were not as important to your mom because she didn't take as many pictures or write down as many notes about you.

You would be very, very wrong.

The privilege of being a second born is that every move you made (and make)--when you laughed, ate, sat, walked, talked, tantrumed, said no, kicked us or hugged us--we didn't have any feeling of looking in on the scene, but we were fully present, right there enjoying the experience of knowing you. Everything you do as you grow up isn't brand new to us, so we don't take notes at every turn, but that means we are free to delight fully in you. I hate taking pictures on vacation...I feel like the camera gets in the way of seeing the mountains with my own eyes and responding with that swell of wonder...it's distracting. It's sort of like that with my sweet Asher. I'm too busy *enjoying* you to remember to write down all your sweet moments...and there are so many!!! You have a truly sweet demeanor, and are easy to love with the part of my heart specially reserved for Asher. When you came along, a lot of things about our family fell into place and you were the happy glue we all needed.

So, I'll stop there and hopefully less words are more (I could indeed write more than this). And now I *will* make a few notes about you, as I sat down to do!
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Asher is the most amazingly instinctively polite child I have ever met! He says please, thank you, No, Yes (full word, not Yeah), Okay Mommy, and generally appropriate nice little phrases more often than I would ever expect! Especially based on the sporadic manners training he's received while his mom has been either pregnant or taking care of a young infant lately. Once when we picked him up from the church nursery they told us he is the only two year old they've ever known who says Thank You when his nose is wiped by a staff member. It's true! His latest cute response is "Soo-er!" [Sure!]
"Asher, do you want some strawberries?"
Soo-er!
"Asher will you bring me a tissue for Eden?"
Dese ones mommy? Soo-er!
"Do you think you could share that toy for a minute?"
Ummm...Soo-er!
Of course, not to say he's always so amiable. He is 2. But he does really well.

Asher is going great guns on the 3-wheel scooter. NO interest in trike or bike, but he is zipping up and down the drive on the scooter. JUMPING. Also doing a ton of running and climbing on the swingset, loving to swing on the new green swing with Owen, and loving his time alone with me when Owen goes to school. Today we made breakfast cookies and Asher ran the mixer. At every step his exuberance at being the one who gets to help is barely containable. He's like the incredible hulk who has a joy management issue, rather than an anger management issue!! He belly laughs every time I ask him if he wants to do a step of the baking...
"Asher, why don't you crack that egg?"
HAHAHA!!! OKAY MOMMY, I LOOOOVE DOING DAT!!! TANK YOU MOMMY!!!
"Okay, time to put the tray in the oven!"
HAHAHAHA!!! DAT'S SO HOT! IT'S GOING TO COOK THE YUMMY FOOD!! I LOOOOVE DAT!!!
"Now, do you want to have a cup of tea with me while we wait for the cookies to bake?"
HAHAHA!!! I LOVE TEA! HAHAHA!! LET'S MAKE SOME TEA FOR US MOMMY, YES!!! TANK YOU!! HAHA!!

It's absolutely hilarious and adorable. He makes me laugh just being with him. I call him my little ewok, and it's an accurate description of his teddy-bear cute self.

Another cute phrase of the moment:
"Where is Asher? ASHER! WHERE ARE YOU??"
[Asher running thump, thump into the room, stopping in front of me, hands on hips]: HERE ME AM!

Asher's superpower in my opinion and Owen's is Supermessyman. He can get himself covered in food, dirt and combinations thereof by 9:30 in the morning. He has recently taken to washing his own hands in the downstairs bathroom, which is AWESOME!!! His second superpower is Entropyman. He can disassemble, distribute and strew the contents of anything ordered in this house with the silence of an indian scout. The eyes in the back of my head fail me regularly, and I turn around to find all manner of mischief having taken place behind my back. When confronted, he still offers, "Oh." It is hard to be frustrated with him because he just seems so willing to admit his fault and clearly wasn't being malicious. But he keeps doing it. So I do eventually get frustrated :}

He can body tackle Owen or pull him down to the floor by the legs and pin him and Owen will cry like a girl! (for lack of a better phrase) Natural wrestler for sure.

LOVES animals. LOVES butterflies. LOVES household insect pests.

Talks to strangers with no inhibitions, makes instant friends with anyone...as long as mom is around. Does not like to be dropped off at church nursery!!! Still!! A couple weeks ago in the checkout line at the grocery store, he struts up to the checkout clerk while I'm loading at the end of the belt.
"Hi! I'm Asher. I'm TWO (holding up fingers). I'm gon be FREE! I'm a BOY!"

Segue to..
"Asher, are you a silly billy?"
NO, I'M A BOY!
"Are you a cutie pie?"
NO, I'M A BOY!
etc.

Asher is plenty ornery. The only way he'll take a nap is if I put him in his crib at nap time and say, "OK, Asher, you can sit in here for a while, but please just don't go to sleep. OK? Do NOT close your eyes right now. Just stay awake for a while til I come back." Have had about 75% success rate getting a nap when I use that one lately. Hmm. Works with a lot of other tasks too, but I'm not sure I should be encouraging that! Why do I have such rebellious kids as 2 year olds?? They definitely want to assert their independence at this age!
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Well Asher, here's the other piece. I'm tired. I have three kids now and I have to go to bed! But at least I got down just a few of your many cute moments ;)

xoxo,
Mom

My baby is no baby anymore...and now he's 5!! A real childhood milestone, almost done with preschool and ready for KG. He has been looking forward to his birthday for a loooong time. His party with friends is on Saturday, but we had presents and celebration at home this evening.

Asher, fan of all things sweet, kept asking for 'more dat green fing!' (sparkling apple cider) and I absentmindedly enabled him to nearly finish off the bottle.

Owen not only got a Texas t-shirt, but Daddo made sure the whole family is advertising for the homeland!

Owen's big present, a new bike. Owen is such a great rider that I couldn't stomach the Wal-mart level bikes, which are SO HEAVY and made of steel. Owen doesn't realize what a nice bike this is, almost all aluminum, but just had to get those included training wheels off and he was flying on it in no time!

Other big hit: two-man horse swing for swingset. This incurred loads of giggles, and will be significantly improving Asher's ability to use the swingset (and thus will make Mama's life *even* better!).