Somtimes I worry...

that I don't spend enough quality time with number three.  Don't get me wrong, I spend a lot of time with him, but it's not like it was when Philip and Daniel were his age.  With them, I did puzzles, craft projects, read books, etc.  With William, it's laundry, cooking, and cleaning.  Really, it is no wonder the kid's favorite toys are a grill and vaccum.  Let's face it, running a household of six is busy work, so when two are off at school and John is asleep, William and I work.

So I worry.  I worry that he only consistently knows one color...green.  I worry that he only knows one letter...W.  He can spell his name and John's too.  But he doesn't know a single shape.  I blame that on me and the lack of time I have given him.

Truth is, though, he's by my side whenever he is awake.  No matter what I am doing, he wants to be doing it too.  He talks incessantly, but that's okay.  If he senses my tension rising, he gets quiet and then hugs my leg.  He softly says, "I wub you, Mommy."  Without fail, he says it at the right time, every time.

He carried around this picture of his Daddy and great-grandfather (and namesake) all morning!

Don't get me wrong, he says some not so sweet stuff, too.  The other day he crawled into the glider with me while I was nursing John.  Struggling to find some room, he looked at me with his big blue eyes and said in the sweetest voice, "Mommy, you got a big ol' boohiney."  Nice.

Yesterday, we got two off at school and one down for a nap.  I chose to neglect the three loads of clean laundry on my bed that needed to be folded and put away and a kitchen full of dirty dishes.  I asked William if he'd like to go read some books in his room.  We read several.  He then asked if I would lay down with him and "listen to the rain."  Sure, buddy.  We both fell asleep in his bed.  Pure bliss.

There's something about this number three.  He is pretty attuned to his surroundings...easy going...and surely he'll get those letters, shapes, and colors sometime!