Arie's 3rd Birthday

Well, I can't believe that my little man is 3 years old. Where does all the time go? Arie has been anticipating his birthday for quite some time. He made up a game where he has me give him an empty little box and say Happy Birthday Arie! Then he opens it and says "Oh thanks mom!" We do that over and over again. So you can imagine his excitement when he got "real" presents for his "real" birthday. Arie has been such a blessing to me. He came during a very difficult time in my life. I needed him at the exact moment that he came. He has always been a great source of joy for me. He is definitely one of my greatest challenges as well. Arie is a very bright and busy little boy. If he is not busy he is not happy. If I don't keep him busy, he gets into trouble. There is a lot going on in that little head of his. So you can imagine that he can be a handful at times. Arie is a worrier. He worries about things that little boys shouldn't worry about. He is very aware of everything going on around him, and he never forgets anything. In fact, he remembers who has given him each toy that he owns. All three years worth. He is very particular about the way that he wants things to happen. We have to let him know what is going to be happening all the time in the order that it is going to happen. If he has an idea about what's coming then he will be much more likely to cooperate. He is so funny and entertaining. He loves his little brother and loves to take care of him. Arie loves to know how things work, and even more he loves it when someone will explain to him how things work, or why things happen the way they do. He is amazingly patient at sitting through these explanations. He's just a little sponge. Right now Arie is very interested in drawing and coloring. He is very serious with a crayon. He loves to cut paper(and other things). He loves books. We just got a library card so he is in heaven at the library. His favorite thing to do is to go to the park. He could play at the park for hours. He loves to play with his friends, although he can be very shy. He has always loved tractors and trucks and anything that goes. He loves to create and has quite an imagination. He is a very cautious child. He never dives right into anything. He's 3 and he just started jumping and climbing in the last couple of months. I guess he realized that he wasn't going to die if he jumped off of the couch. That sounds crazy, but I promise you that is the thought process that goes on in his mind. So I let him( and encourage him) to jump on the furniture. Arie is very sensitive and really tries hard to please. He doesn't like contention (even though he is the source of it at times). He gets worried when people around him seem unhappy. Arie is a complex child and I love him. He is amazing to me. He is unique and he is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. He is my best buddy. Happy Birthday buddy man!