My Little Man

It is far too late on a Sunday, and I should be in bed, getting rested for work tomorrow. But my heart is just so full of my little man tonight, I have to blog. Alden was sick today, and we played hooky from church together (which gave his dad the added bonus of watching football ;-)). He is so wonderful. That may come as a surprise to readers of this blog, as he probably doesn't garner quite the press here that Kate and Keegan do, and when he does, it is usually to report on the unique challenges he can present.



But most of the things we complain about are just him being a boy and a three year old, and doing what everyone that age has to go through -- learning to share, to separate a bit from mom, figuring out what siblings are all about, etc. Yet to know Alden is to love him. He is just the most special little guy. I can't find the words to exactly explain why; I just know that I am so happy to be his dad. There is so much about him to really love. Here are a few examples:

He is absolutely genuine, without guile. He doesn't change his story just because it is what you want to hear. He tells you how he feels and he keeps telling you, even when you insist he should tell you something else. He just can't understand why you would want him to say something he doesn't actually feel. Never seems to cross his mind that he should play along and try and get what he wants by pandering. He is just straightforward. Period.

He doesn't lie. If I angrily say, 'did you push your brother?!' he'll just say "yes." Sometimes he even delays that a bit, and I feel certain he understands that his response may have consequences for him, but he tells it like it was anyway. That is a quality that not many people have, and I sure hope he keeps it, hard as it will be.

He knows what he wants and goes after it. Doesn't matter that it makes no sense at all, or that everyone else wants to do something else or to do it even slightly differently. He sticks to his guns. While it can be frustrating, I love that ability to withstand peer pressure and stand up for what he knows he wants.

When he says he loves you, you know he means it. Just today, Keegan was following his brother around like a puppy dog, and not so subtly. Whenever Keegan got near Alden, he would lean his whole head and body into Alden with all of his 26 pounds. Alden was very good natured about it, and at one point, when Alden was laying down, Keegan just flopped on Alden, buried his face in Alden's neck, and giggled and kicked his little legs for all he was worth. I was prepared for a shove or whine, but no. Instead, I heard Alden say, "Oh Keegan! I Love you too!" He said it with such joy and heart, it just melted me. If you want a great experience, spend the day playing with Alden, then tell him you love him. He will immediately respond with "I wuv you too," and will do it in a way that makes you believe he really understands the serious import of what he is saying.

He loves to laugh, and has one of the greatest giggles ever. It comes so readily, and is so full of joy. You just can't be sad when Alden is laughing.

All he really wants is for you to be his best buddy and play with him. He loves having friends. He is a 'people who needs people,' and that makes him pretty special. Already at this point in his life, I know that it will be incredibly important for him to have friends, and that he will be a loyal and good one (once he gets past the sharing thing, anyway).

He is brave. Last Monday we went to the Rec center to swim, and he saw the giant slide. It must look so high to a little guy, and it is quite tall even for adults (I was very surprised at the speed it generates through many twists and turns). But he was determined to go even though it scared him, so he just pointed and said "let's go." And then he got that look. It is my favorite look ever. His big smile goes away, and is replaced by very serious, tight lips. And his eyes get this steely determination in them. (I am not kidding on that). He may be scared, but he has made up his mind, and there is no turning back. Pretty good for a little guy who doesn't even know how to hold his breath yet.

He is resilient and tough. It amazes me what a thunk he can take and just bounce right back. I'm sure he has a relatively high pain threshold. (That obviously comes from his mother).

Last but not least, he is quite a budding photographer. Here is a photo he took of Keegan.


Those are just a few of the things that make Alden a one-of-a-kind charmer. I sure love you, little buddy.