We got about one block into the drive when a little voice wafted up from the backseat. "Mommy, why are you so grumpy right now?" Caught. I hadn't said a word about my day. I hadn't raised my voice. I hadn't even said anything cranky. But Soren noticed I was sad anyway-- and he was worried about me. I explained to him in very simple words why I was sad and he listened attentively and asked lots of questions.
I thought that was that, but he must have been keeping a pretty close watch on me because a half an hour later he asked, "Mommy? Why are you sucking on your finger?" The dry skin on one of my knuckles had cracked and was bleeding. I explained this to him, and told him it wasn't a big deal, but he persisted in his concern. "Are you just going to drive with one hand?" he asked. "No, sweetie," I told him. "It doesn't really hurt. I'm fine." "But I think it does hurt," said Soren. As soon as we got home he headed to the bathroom, got out the Lubriderm, and brought it to me in the kitchen. "This will make it feel better," he said.
And let me tell you: nothing takes the bad out of a bad day like lotion handed to you by a worried four-year-old.
And oh my goodness, what I wouldn't give to keep him four. So sweet, so small. Little enough to be picked up and cuddled, to put his little hand into mine when we walk, to believe that the solution to all his problems begins with M- and ends with -ommy. But big enough to converse, to tell stories, to sing songs, to express opinions.
One particularly nice thing has been that he and Liam have recently reached a better place in their relationship. They are more friend, less adversary. They were playing around on the recliner one morning when I told Soren it was time for us to go to Grandma's. He looked over at his brother and said, "I want to be with you, Nyeeum, but I have to go now." Then he ruffled Liam's hair, slid out of the chair, and put on his coat all by himself. When Liam started to cry, he told him, "It's okay. Daddy will keep you safe."
A few more highlights from the past couple of months:
-Liam fell asleep while he and Soren were playing together in the living room one afternoon. Abe came upstairs to check on them and Soren said, "Sssshhhhh! Daddy! Liam's asleep!" So Daddy tiptoed back downstairs. Soren then found his green safety scissors and carefully cut off Liam's soft baby locks while he slept. He also cut a patch off the top of his own hair. When Abe came back, Liam was still sound asleep on the carpet, surrounded by a halo of hair.
-Abe got up with Liam one morning so I could sleep in. Then Soren woke up, came out of his room, saw Daddy, and asked, "Where's Mommy?" "Mommy's still in bed. She needs some more sleep," Abe told him. Soren digested this for a moment. He then sighed deeply, turned, wordlessly walked back into his bedroom and closed the door.
-While the boys and I were out running errands on a Saturday morning, I decided to take the car to get washed. Unfortunately, the car wash in Shelley was closed when we arrived. Soren is terrified of car washes and was, therefore, glad to see we wouldn't be going. His comment to me, however, was very diplomatic: "Sorry, lovey. Looks like you'll have to wash the car another day."
-Soren is fascinated by the days of the week. Every day he wants to know WHAT day it is. And he'll say funny things like, "I only like Liam on Fridays and Tuesdays" or "I only eat good food on Mondays and Sometimedays."
-For several weeks he was doing this weird thing that he refers to as "going peepee after I go peepee." What this means is that he was having to pee every three minutes or so. It was very strange and quite disconcerting. We took him to the doc, who gave him a UA, said everything looked fine, suggesting that he maybe just had an undersized urethra opening. Abe found information on the internet that described this sort of case in children and said it was probably psychological. Whatever the cause, it finally got to the point where we'd put him in a pull-up every time we went somewhere. Then we just had him in pull-ups all the time. This caused me all kinds of motherly panic and after a couple of weeks I finally insisted that he begin wearing underwear again. This caused massive tantrum throwing, wild running about, and general mayhem related to what appeared to be his soul leaving his body, but he's doing much better now. He'll pull out the "I need to go peepee after I go peepee" schtick at least once a day still, but I just tell him he'll have to put it in the potty, and he seems to be urinating on a much more regular schedule again. More than ya'll wanted to know, probably, but oh wells.
-Probably our biggest behavioral concern with Soren right now is his complete lack of deference for anything of a religious/spiritual nature. He refuses to sit quietly during prayers. He refuses to even say prayers. Sacrament meetings with him are a bit of a nightmare/wrestling match. I had always thought kids were naturally kind of religious, but Soren turns that theory right onto its head.
-If there's anything that delights Soren, it's making mommy laugh. If he pulls a silly face and I laugh, he'll pull three dozen more and do a couple of crazy flip-flops around the room for good measure.
-Soren loves, loves, loves The Magic School Bus series. (Or, as he calls them, "Scoobus Books.") We always have to have a handful of Scoobus Books checked out from the library at any given time. They are excellent reading, I must admit, though I always try to avoid them at bedtime because it takes FOREVER to get through even one with all his questions.
With an owl he made out of playdough. It's one of those newfangled modern art owls. 
With one of his myriad Duplos creations.
This is the tickle ball. It's invisible, but if you touch it you'll get tickled. 
The child has fashion sense up to here.
These two photos are what he refers to as "dressing silly." He loves to see how many ways he can put on clothes incorrectly. (Or should I say unconventionally?) And yes, I let him go out like this. But only to Grandma's. Or Auntie Clee's. 
Trying to look innocent. What Daddy? I haven't seen a Daddy. I certainly didn't use my mad kung-fu skillz to flatten a Daddy. Why do you ask? 
In the house he built out of books and drawers.
Soren promises me that even when he's great big he'll still be my little boy. 
