Xander is Our Child Who...

• My favorite Xander-isms? He named himself "Za-Za" Which was later renamed "YaYa" for his babbling baby sister's sake. "Tiger-Guard" was his made up superhero that could do anything a 3 year old could dream of. He called his Ranger Rick Magazines that Uncle Chad sends him "MAGAZONS" . At age 3 -5 he would sort and resort the order of them daily. He believes Uncle Chad spends hours at home making each one and sends it directly to him. :) He recently thought up an expletive of "What in whole history of carbonation!". And He is a 6 year old that goes to the store and compares labels to see which is "healthier." He knows that Sierra Mist has 24 grams of sugar and Root Beer has 27 and therefore he will choose the first. He will say "Wow Mom, this___ is pretty healthy ; it has 4 grams of protein and only 2 grams of sugar."


• Xander is our dreamer... my biggest obstacle (or maybe frustration) with him is he is always dreaming... I guess in the world of imaginary things you can -be who, have what, and do things- you always wanted. During chores he will look at me as I give him a job but I find the shoes I asked him to put away in the upstairs bathroom , the clothes for Josie in my closet, and the Tupperware in the laundry room! It is most frustrating at times. The whole time he walks around moving this from here to there and back again ...he is mumbling, shooting, lazerbeaming and absorbing the impact from incoming asteroids or ? under his breath. I will admit that I am not always the picture of patience... when I ask him what he was thinking? He just rumples his eyebrows and shakes/hangs his head.. and says, "I don't know .. I'm sorry!" He is so hard to keep focused on the mundane tasks of life but on the other hand -he is easily entertained by himself -even in the car. (Although he prefers when I lock the buttons so he can pretend that his electric window and lock buttons are missles and the radio be off so he can "think".


• Xander is our kid who loves scientific things. This kid never goes to the fiction side of the library. He always is looking for a book on Big Cats or Dinosaurs or Space Missions or Egypt, and the Nile River. He loves his microscope and intrigued with disection of anatomy- his big desire has been to catch a rodent, let the ants eat the flesh off, and study the bone structure. He loves animal facts and shows that are about the deadliest venom or the most powerful / fast/or bizarre animals.He has a really soft heart and is easily crushed. He also has this little rascal that loves to get one over on you.. play a joke. I.e. he will fill his daddy's shoes with paper wads or eat chives and come give me a kiss.


• The naughty things that come to mind that he has done is: keeping the hose on outside all night or day (because of forgetfulness), mix numerous concoctions of ingredients or substances without permission to create potions (or "mechemicals" he calls them), he use to gag on food but we have that mostly under control (textures, not so much tastes threw him. The "no thank you bite" we required of potato salad or a cherry or blueberry with the skin that pops-forget it ! More than once, most of supper came up as we were working on this issue. :0. The only other thing that comes to mind was I was horrified one time when he twisted a baby Josie up on her Johnny Jumper seat that hung from the doorway. He let her go and was giggling, by the time I stopped her and grabbed her out -her little eyes darted from one side of her head to the other repeatedly as only dizziness can do - and as I hugged her close I informed my son that was not a fun thing to do. We will not do that again and gave him a personal demonstration on the office chair 'till he saw Josie's point of view.


• He makes new friends easily and everyone seems to grow to love this kid who sometimes says the strangest things. It's not uncommon for me to go pick him up from Sunday School and for his teacher to tell me with a laugh that "Xander was trying to explain the Carbon and Oxygen Cycle and how we should plant more trees to ensure we have plenty to breathe." He is also very generous, is a good playmate for Josie and is very sweet to Aliza. he talks to her in sweet exaggerated tones and says things like "Wow are you strong! push push push with those feet.. oh yah... you think that's funny... look at big brother's muscles! and he flexes and she rewards his efforts with a huge grin."


• Things he hates? Being by himself downstairs in the basement, oil in his ears, leaving the "never ending party" at his cousins: Johnie and Robin's house, he prefers to type rather than print or do penmanship, Tomatoes nothing else much comes to mind


• Last year it was his bike riding that took up most of his outdoor time. This year its fishing. (We have a pond in our backyard.) He can now cast, real, (even though often he needs help untangling the line) and usually take off the fish he catches. The neighbor (and his fishing buddy) has a lovely dock. (Andrew is 6 months younger maybe). They feed the catfish bread and yesterday he caught (with a piece of hotdog and bobber) the 5 or 6 pound (it has been weighed and we have 2 adult eyewitnesses) bass that broke his brand new rod from Grandma Terri and Grandpa Dean. In tears he shook his head as he handed the three parts to me. His tears soon turned into a greatful "Thank You Mr. Kevin" when a new pole was produced from our neighbors shed and handed to him with a chuckle (we do happen to have the best neighbors! -Mr Kevin and Mrs Amy


• He loves to TALK and to spend time with you. Sometimes; I am ashamed to say, I get weary of listening to his ideas of how he will do this, that, and something else too! (his daddy seems to be more patient with this aspect and always seems to give Xander his attention during these long "think tanks". He also loves money .. he counts and recounts and spends and respends it over and over in his head. Sometimes it is tempting to just take him to the store with all his change and let him spend it so he can think about something else. Out of every five dollars that Xander gets we put $3 in the bank/ .50 goes in the offering/ and he gets to keep 1.50 for anything he wants (within limits). HE Loves LEGOS and spending time with his cousins on the farm in Dwight and time on the computer with his daddy (playing lego games) and at the shop working with wood glue.


• Things I look back on and smile? How he has always had such a problem with coping with the bright sun. As a 9 month old he is squinting and would jsut close his eyes when we were outside. the above picture is something he has come up with when mommy says, "Xander look at me".. or "Xander do you see that dish in the yard? Go get it." So funny! He does this OFTEN! How he loved to dig in the dirt at age 3 and 4 ... hours in the garden or dirt pile digging with his little shovel. How he needed earplugs and sunglasses when we watched his first fireworks at age 3. How his old bedroom when he was a tot was the elevator in Betty and Max's apartment- and he had his little fish tank to provide a window of interest in the blackness. How he use to sit in a salad bowl as a baby (we had no tub in the apartment) or a roasting pot on the outside deck. How he learned to ride Bike in a day with me before daddy came home (the side walk was the runway and the lawn acted as the crash pad for the first 50 times.) And how at age 5 he quoted the whole Christmas story from Luke 2.


• Xander is truly a one of a kind kid. He is the sort that you just scratch your head and think "Wow, where did that come from?" or "What is that boy thinking right now?" He is always thinking about how God is "the Boss" and the "most powerfullest". He is truly a joy in our family life. He is the perfect first born son that has a big heart, a desire to please God, and is a blessing to this family. Xander we love you so much we can't wait to see what God will have for your future!