Asher is officially the Class Clown. He’s out-of-control silly and over-the-top dramatic, all while managing to be so cute that no one can stop hugging him. Everything he does elicits an “Aww, our Baby is so cute” from Tessa. Swimming. Sleeping. You name it. Tessa thinks it is the bestest and cutest thing that’s ever been done by anyone.
His favorite things are to pretend cook and swordfight with two swords (double sticks, as its called in martial arts). He make Lego concoctions–like Lego pancakes, or Lego stews (where unfastened Lego pieces are piled into a measuring cup) and he opens the bottom over (which we never use) and he places them on the pizza stone for cooking. He then gets a spatula and makes sizzling sound effects while maneuvering his Lego pieces around the spatula. (He also pretend eats, but that’s more annoying than anything for Mom ‘cuz he’ll say he wants something and then take pretend bites and smile and shake his head when presented with a full fork for swallowing.)
He’s a master pretender, which makes sense as he’s Emmett’s little brother and Emmett’s so deep in his pretend play that sometimes you aren’t sure if he thinks pretend play is real and real life is pretend. Asher makes his fake chicken bites into space ships and crashes them into each other; he hides behind the closet door and jumps out with a lightsaber yelling “Ahhh!” to scare anyone coming by; and he’ll wander around outside with nothing more than an oversized salad spoon pretending its a plane flying threw a crowded sky. Lately, Asher’s taken to holding one (of two) black footed ferrets (ferris, he calls them) and making squeaking noises until you kiss them.
For months, since before we left Washington, he’s taken two butter knives and pretended that they are samurai swords. This is funny for us, as it is often accompanied by sound effects, and super cute, ‘cuz awwww. Look at the little man with butter knives pretending to straight-up fight you! how cute. But we all see how it can be (and is) off-putting for non-family members. Especially nannies. No one wants a small man coming at you with knives. Even if they are only butter knives.
He also likes to cook for real. He pushes a kitchen chair over to the pantry, scales the shelves, grabs a microwave popcorn bag, opens it, puts the wrapper in the trash, and pushes his chair over to the stove top where he pops the bag into the microwave–all the while humming a jaunty tune to himself. (This is his favorite part. Eating the finished product is a close third–after unwrapping the bag and putting the trash in the trash–which means he throws a fit when he wants to make more but can’t because there is leftover uneaten popcorn.)
And all the while, he’s so teeny! (Well, not really. He’s exactly where he should be with his height, which sets him up for a roughly 6’ frame when he gets older.) But he’s smaller than us. And because he’s so coordinated, he seems little because–honestly–what 2 1/2 year old is doing these things?! (Probably many of them, but Tessa would argue no one else is doing it with such cuteness.) He’s so accustomed to everyone stopping to laugh and smile at him, he plays it up when he’s in trouble, sticking out his tongue, turning his head coquettishly, and sly smiling when faced with “Say you are sorry.”
We are so, so amazingly happy with this little man. He’s melted hearts since he was fresh out of the oven, but now he slays too with humor and charm. Where does he pack it all in? (Same place the rest of us do, amiright? Or, maybe not?) Anyway. He’s fantastic and we are grateful he’s ours.
Pigs Out
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