Everyone in our family has a soft spot for Mr. William. This is what I told a friend of mine who substituted in Nursery and commented on how helpful and kind he is. Another nursery leader informed me that she thinks he will be a mechanical engineer. She elaborated by explaining that he figured out that if he sticks his fingers into the chute of a musical toy and presses a tiny button, he doesn't need to send ball through to make the music turn on. This didn't surprise me because he is very mechanically-inclined. He has loved helping Joel and me build our new kitchen. He only needs to see the way something works once and he understands how to do it on his own (whether we want him to or not is another story!).
William is never as satisfied as when he is helping me. He loves to carry things, put things away, and if he overhears me searching for an item he loves to find it and proudly bring it to me.
He is a sweet little guy. He loves his siblings, and they know it, even when he bites them. (Yes, we are currently battling a biting phase)
William chomps at Everett most often, usually getting him on the back or arm. After his time-out, William returns to play with a very forgiving Everett. "It's okay, buddy," Everett says nicely, "I don't mind that you bit me." Everett is an emotional guy and William is the only one he has this much patience with.
William gives Everett a hug and they all move on to more fun.
William is always making us laugh. "Watch me, Mommy!" or "Watch this!" are phrases he utters constantly while performing wacky acrobatics and grunting dramatically. He repeats himself more loudly and more loudly until I turn my head and watch. His moves are impressive, too. He's been jumping with both feet off the floor and doing a perfect somersault since well before he was two.
His favorite move these days is to spread his legs as wide as he can in a standing sort of split, then return with one fluid jump to a regular upright stand. He and I do this move over and over together and I always tire of it before he does. He giggles and giggles the entire time.
We all love making William laugh. It is very easy, and very gratifying. He laughs a big jolly laugh at just about everything!
William also loves to please. Some children are naturally obedient and William is one of them. The only time I ever have to correct him is when he bites (see above). Asking William once usually does the trick. I always tell Joel that if we had William first, we would have thought his behavior was all because we must be awesome parents. Now we know better, and are just grateful he is ours.
I have also really enjoyed taking notice of his acquisition of language. He is so funny! His phrases sound a little awkward, the way a foreigner might speak when first learning English.
"I can't find it, car, Mommy."
"I can't do it, shoes, Mommy."
"It hurts, bottom, Mommy."
"Where is it, blankie, Mommy."
And sometimes he still surprises me with the amount he can describe. This morning he informed me, "I'm running in circles, Mommy!"
William is also very curious. I was present at the exact moment he discovered the moon in the sky, and I will never forget the way his face lit up when I told him its name. "Ball!" he exclaimed, when he first saw the moon, just visible during the dinner hour and high above our heads. We laughed. "That is the Moon, William." He grinned and grinned. That night before bed I held him as we peeked out his bedroom window at the luminous moon, enjoying our own goodnight moon moment. For days afterwards he searched for the moon in the sky, and renamed every circle in every object he saw after it.
William still loves his pillow pet lion. I carry him around the house each night before bed in search of his furry companion. "Where is it? Where is the lion?" I say conspiratorially in his ear as he giggles and giggles.
One Sunday around lunchtime as we were all eating some sandwiches, we heard someone blow a very loud, resonant raspberry. William busted up in hysterical laughter. It was him! He had accidentally made the noise while squeezing his own cheeks together. We all laughed as he repeated the noise with delight.
"Fffffwwwwwwwap!"
William is so enchanted with this new trick that he makes the noise any time he can, even during Sacrament Meeting at church, much to the amusement of the people sitting sitting near us.
Without William, we would really be missing out on a hefty dose of entertainment and belly laughs. Joel is always a little sad when the kids outgrow the toddler belly laugh, and so am I. I am glad we have William to give us our daily dose.
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