Big Son, Four Years Old

Thursday morning Titus stayed home from school for playgroup-party at our house, with lots of little friends including a couple new babies, and birthday cake for three September birthdays! 

 

On Friday, birth-day, Titus went to school all day and brought homemade carrot cupcakes. Apparently, huge hit among teacher and classmates. I was gone that evening for my usual b-study, but Drew made birth-day night special with gummy worms and balloon volleyball. Titus kept saying, "We're having fun Dad!"

Saturday morning we hung out with people we love on skype and opened gifts -- books! Titus loves books! Then we all went outside to romp around in autumn sun and breeze. Drew's out facilitating two study groups today, but we'll reunite for a restaurant supper later tonight.

We gave Titus that blue table and chairs for his birthday gift. A table is exactly what every four year-old boy wants for his birthday, you know? ;) All the guys are ecstatic about their own special-sized activity center.

To characterize Titus.

Social and cheery, gentle as far as little boys go.
Likes to have many friends, often talks about his buddies.
Consistent favorite is a girl classmate named Duo-duo.
Devours book after book.
Quirky hobby is tying up all sorts of objects and creating webs of string and ribbon across rooms.
Kind-of mostly knows his alphabet and kind-of mostly can count to twenty.
Sings, silly, happy.
Can walk forever. We hike up and down that mountain, grown-ups panting and he keeps up.
Eats little at turtle-speed, but likes every kind of vegetable on God's green earth, especially leafy greens (the other night he told me the eggplant was "really, really good!")
Speaks emphatically, flying hand gestures.
Can be selfish, sometimes reticent to share, unwilling to empathize, ungrateful, disobedient, I think typical of the human child.


This morning while we were walking on the mountainside Titus said matter-of-factly, "Everyone says me (sic) is a waiguoren (foreigner)." We talk about this often, processing identity as the only non-Chinese in his school. "Yup, you are a foreigner. You're not Chinese," we replied.

He declared thoughtfully, "But, I am Chinese."

counting the graces

thank you Father for

new book that's impossible to put down

wrapped in a blanket with michael on the couch, nibbling banana, midnight

prostitute friend, waiting, so excited to show new clothes she bought for her little daughter

toast

baby smiling at first-birthday candle