The Mind of a Four Year Old

Joseph is four years old and he is so amusing! His primary teachers are a young married couple expecting their first child in a week or so. He came home to tell us how his class got to touch her large tummy. I asked him if he felt the baby kick, he said no, the baby was asleep. So I asked him how her tummy felt and he informed me that he did not feel her belly because he did not want to wake up the baby! Then yesterday in the car he was talking about primary and he mentioned that he thinks the baby has fallen out of her tummy now, oh if it were truly that simple!! A few weeks ago we were at Target shopping and we ran into them. Joseph gasped and said, "They are here at Target" He was shocked to see them outside of the usual church setting and could hardly say hello. From there we went to Winco, and guess who we ran into? Yep, we saw them again and once again Joseph was shocked to see them!

We have the soundtrack to the movie The RM and if you have not seen this movie, I highly recommend it. It is hilarious and my entire family LOVES this movie. Anyway, the soundtrack is church music that has been redone in a mainstream manner. Very fun and upbeat. It is one of Joseph's favorite right now and every time we go anywhere in the van, he wants me to turn it on. So I do. And he sings along with every song he can, though his favorite is the primary song Give Said The Little Stream. And when he doesn't know the words to the other songs, he often makes them up. I think he is just like me. When I hear a song I like, I am not truly happy until I can learn the words and sing along. So what is my deal anyway? Why is it I can sing every lyric to every sappy 70's love tune that played during my years in retail, even when I haven't heard them in 15 years and yet I am a bit fuzzy on the order of the states on the east coast. I felt bad about this for years because my husband would make fun of me for not knowing my states as if I was an ignorant grade school dropout. So when Jake had to learn the states and capitals in 6th grade, once again I learned them all right along with him, but just four years later the fuzziness is creaping back in and yet I can still sing every line of "Midnight at the Oasis"(send your camel to bed...yes that really is the next line). In trying to be a good citizen of this wonderful country, should I take the time every couple of years to brush up on my US geography, or is it ok to be one of those people in those poles where they say, "75% of people poled don't know the capital of South Dakota"(I just looked it up, its Pierre, but then YOU knew that didn't you?)...Oooops, this blog entry is not about me, its about Joseph, so back to him....

Sometimes I steal glances to the backseat and strain to hear his sweet little voice singing along. The look on his face is always so serious, probably because music is such serious business to him. I often turn on youtube and play music there. Lately we were introduced to a song that is a blend of Love Story and Viva La Vida(the link is on my facebook page if you are interested, I haven't figured out how to get it here yet). It is an incredible song played by a piano and a cello. Joseph always asks for the Piano and Jello song. And then he runs around in circles, his feet hitting the ground in time to the music. We also play a lot of songs by the SilverSun Pickups, which he calls the SiverSun Hiccups. My little Jeterinarian may also have a future in music!

Oh yes, Joseph is also a rotten egg. It is true. Whenever we go anywhere, do anything, get in the car, go through the front door, he always says in a sing song voice, I'm the rotten egg, you are the winner! I don't know why he has the idea that being a rotten egg is a good thing, but hey, it has stopped a lot of arguements with the 7 year old, who does NOT think being a rotten egg is cool. She happily agrees with him that he is the rotten egg and peace is continual in our happy home....HA! Yeah, they find other things to fight about, but at least its never about being a rotten egg.

I love Joseph's sweet little mind. He is such a fun little boy and I feel blessed every day that I am his mother! I was thinking recently, what if Richard and I had not decided to have children together. My youngest would be almost 15 now. I would probably have finished my schooling and have been a nurse for several years now and I am just certain I'd be very skinny...HA. Life would be so different and possibly so much easier, but happier?? No! When I think of all I would be missing out on I am so grateful Joseph and Annalina came along. I would not give up the experience of being their mom for anything!!