A BOY AND HIS "W"

Today's post is in honor of this little man.

Let me start with saying that he has got to be one of the sweetest little guys ever. When you meet him and he flashes that sweet smile, you're hooked. He is the most relaxed little fellow, just like his daddy. The perfect temperament to be sandwiched between to domineering sisters. Backing up a little bit. He turned two in September and started school. In THE best class, I might add. Have I mentioned how blessed we are to be able to send our kids to a day"school?!" The BEST dayschool in my opinion. Anyway, Janet McCracken and Leah Brown are awesome. Mrs. Janet has been teaching for 23 or so years and hasn't lost any enthusiasm. I need to dig up some pics of her on dress up days. Mrs. Leah is one of our neighbors and the sweetest thing. Anyway, the only thing Mac was saying at the time was "Gunk, Gunk." He repeated with the correct number of syllables and the correct pitch of your voice, but no words. For instance, if I said, "I love you, Mac." He would say, "Gunk gunk gunk gunk." I know you can't hear my tone but it was a perfect match. Dr. Petitt sent him for a hearing check, perfect. Sent us to a occupational therapist, no problems there. Well, the third day of school, he came home and recited his entire alphabet and counted from 1-10. Obviously, he had known these things for a while but was not verbalizing them. His teachers thought that just getting away from Motor Mouth (Maggie) did the trick. He didn't have to talk. She'd even lean over, smell his rear, & tell me he needed changing. And probably 25-30 times a day, we hear, "I get a hug? I get a kiss? I wuv you, mommy." And he goes around the room saying this to each family member. However, he is very unique. More like quirky or strange.

"W"

This little man is obsessed with the letter W. He can say his entire alphabet, sing it in two different tunes (regular & the SuperWhy version) and tell you the sound that each letter makes. But, W is the one that he loves.

He sleeps with a W. He has been sound asleep before and at 2 am, we heard him squalling. Brett went in his room to find that W was out of his reach. Mac was yelling with tears streaming, "W! W!" Brett handed it to him, he hugged it really tightly to his chest and calmly said, "W." He then curled up on his pillow and went back to sleep.

He brings you paper and pen and says, "Draw a W! Draw a W!" He seems to have misplaced this one.

We had lunch at a friends' parent's. They had crackers in the shape of letters. He had us dig through until we found a W. He ate the other letters and held on to the chosen one.

He loves the local weather channel. Here he is pointing to the "w" in highway. He's very happy with this channel. There is always a W. I picked the kids up from school last week and asked Maggie how her day was. She responded with lots of gabbering and details. When I asked Mac, he replied, "I wuv a W."

He loves the W in my mom's window seal. Can you see it? I'll help you. It's the shape of the plant leaves. He'll come in our house when we get home from somewhere looking for W's. "W. Where are you? I can't find you." Nursery workers at church have asked us what the deal was. Said he takes their hands and walks them around the room pointing out each one he finds. His speech therapist still goes to his school once a month. It's state funded and free so why not. She always leaves a report for me. One noted that he was one of the brightest there. Mrs. Janet said that he is the go-to guy when asking questions because he knows all the answers. The last report said that he had much knowledge but it easily distracted by the letters in the room. Ya think?!

Our friend from church, Tim Thomas (Uncle Tim as Mac calls him), showed him that he could hold three fingers up and make his own W. As Brett said, Mac just looked at his hand, with mouth hanging open, as if he were thinking, "I've had the power this whole time!" When a friend of ours kept the kids for us one day, their 7 year old daughter, Anna, met us at the door. She had drawn a W on her hand to make Mac feel comfortable in their house. She knew the trick.

He also likes wheels. A lot. You have to keep an eye on him in a store because he will absolutely bend way over and follow anyone pushing a buggy or stroller out the door.

Here he is at Brett's mom's family reunion. Not long after this, we heard a crash. Mac had flipped it over to get a closer look at those wheels.

And lastly. What could possibly make this little guy happier than a wheel with a W.