Our little man

     
Ryan started his second year at Sonshine Preschool last week, where he’ll be attending Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.  I should follow that statement with “I can’t believe he’s already three and a half,” or “I’m not ready for him to go.”  But…if ever a child was born for all that school entails, it’s Ryan.  This tired mama just can’t keep up with all that Ryan needs (and sometimes demands!).  Miles is trying, but he can hardly be blamed for his inability to speak coherent words at this time.
      

I was able to see Ryan from a teacher’s perspective for the first time when I took him to story time at the library.  As the animated librarian lead the children in songs, movements, and an interactive story, Ryan didn’t miss a beat.  He followed every instruction immediately and properly, but, most importantly, his face shone with joy.  He giggled delightedly at the funny parts of the story and leaned in towards the boy next to him, encouraging him to join in with the fun.  Sharing the entire experience with friends seemed to be the icing on an already pretty awesome cake. 

So, off to preschool he happily goes! 

Ryan wants to know how everything works and why we do everything we do. From the moment he descends the stairs each morning, questions pour from his mouth in a never ending flood. The next question is out of his mouth the instant an answer is received. It’s staggering. Paul and I keep intending to count the questions just for fun, but we’re too busy, well, answering questions!

Volcanoes and reptiles are Ryan’s current passions.  I take him to the library and say, “Okay, what do you want to learn about?”  He rattles off whatever is on his mind, and we check out several books on each topic.  Even better is getting the opportunity for some hands-on learning. 
     

   

Alligator Adventures in Myrtle Beach (And all these years we assumed it was a tourist trap!)

          

Homemade volcanoes (on a rainy day at the beach)

   
Paul is a wonderful father in so many ways, but I blame him (and testosterone?) entirely for Ryan’s desire to take things apart.  Ryan regularly brings me a toy in pieces and says, “I don’t know how to put this back together again.”  Most of the time, I don’t either!  Because Paul understands Ryan’s desire to work with his hands, he intentionally looks for every opportunity to either include Ryan in household projects or turn Ryan’s ideas into reality. 
       

Last weekend, Ryan helped install new outdoor lights.

             
On this afternoon, Ryan greeted Paul at the door and said, “I want to build a windmill.” 
So they did.
   

The next afternoon, he wanted to build a train gate.  Both the windmill and train gate lasted for about a week, and then… Ryan broke them into pieces.  Time to begin again!
         

Ryan figured out the iPad in less than 5 minutes.  Now he thinks every screen is a touchpad and is constantly trying to tap on my laptop screen.  Can we say “child of the new millennium?”

    

         

    

This is the same razor Paul used when he was Ryan’s age.

Ryan and I actually do have a lot in common, including a love of order, dependence on routine, attention to detail, keen sense of smell, and a teensy weensy tendency toward the dramatic.  Several times a week, Ryan will do or say something that causes Paul to give me The Look.  I am quick to say, “I know, I know!  I take full responsibility!” 

        
    
Ryan also has a tender, sweet spirit.  He has taken to picking flowers for me, which I put on the windowsill over the kitchen sink.  As soon as he notices that they’ve wilted, he rushes outside to pick fresh ones.  His gratefulness, for even the smallest gesture, is nothing we can take credit for.  It’s the way he’s made.  Whenever you apply a band-aid or give him medicine, he says, “Thank you, Mama!” in the sincerest way.  There have been several times when he has stopped while playing with a new toy and asked, “Did I remember to say thank you?”  If I ask for his help to bake a cake or clean the bathrooms (I swear he loves cleaning.), he answers, “I’d be happy to!”  
     

 

It is impossible to summarize a person in words, particularly when that someone is your son, whom you’ve known intimately from the beginning and love beyond reason.  It is fun, though, to reflect upon his personality, strengths, passions, and even quirks.  Paul affectionately calls Ryan “little man,” and I marvel at the fact that we’re already seeing glimpses of who he might be when he’s no longer little and fully a man.

 

   

     

“My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.”
(Psalm 139:15-6)