He's All Boy ...

Jack's 4th birthday is coming up soon and I find myself reflecting on my life as a boy's mom.  Jack is "all boy;" he lives to play in the dirt, ride any-and-all types of vehicles and use grown-up 'man' tools each and every chance that he gets.  He is up by 6 am every morning, eats breakfast, gets dressed and is outside before most everyone else is even climbing out of bed. 

He is forever doing work ... no job is too big; no item is too heavy and no distance is too far.  He knows his boundaries and never ventures out of the yard unless he is with an adult, which makes me feel very comfortable.  I can call out the window to him and he answers immediately.  I can give him a 5- or 10-minute warning before naptime, or before we leave, and he follows though.

Sometimes I forget that he is still three years old. 

Learning to snow-blow the driveway this last winter (Steve was close-by):

Using his own wheelbarrow that he got from Papa and Grammy to gather wood for a fire:

Collecting branches in the yard to take back into the woods:

Assisting his dad to build a loft in the garage:

He knows every tool by name and their function:

Pounding nails in extra scraps of wood (and NOT using the saw the next to him):

Playing in the dirt outside, by the side of the garage:

He spent unlimited hours out here one week:

I walked outside to check on him one day and found him hard at work detailing his trucks:

Helping Steve dig a trench to bury drain hosing:

He is like a machine ... never stopping.

I smile to myself a lot though because, even with all of his boy tendencies, I still have a tenderhearted. kind little boy there that loves his mom fiercely and would never intentionally try to hurt anyone's feelings.  He loves his sisters (and looks up to them) and plays so sweetly with his little brother.  I couldn't ask for a better boy to raise.