A Billion and One Stories About

Alaster!

The youngest and liveliest person in our home.

Oh Alaster.

OOOOOHHHHHH Alaster!

Here we go:

What He Said One Day When I Asked Him if I Could Give Him a Kiss:

"As long as your careful with my cheek."

What He Shouted With Arms Outstretched to a Group Of Surprised Grocery Shoppers as He Stood On The Top of The Cart (mom's back was turned of course):

"BEHOLD!" ... he got their attention and then didn't know what to do with it. He just looked around and smiled.

One Way That He Is So Sweet!:

He says "Thank you," for everything.
Or rather he says "Hnank-Ume!" Or something like that. I canNOT say it like he does and usually my Jack and Alaster impressions are spot on. Thankfully yesterday he said it pretty slowly and I immediately wrote it down phonetically. I took it as a sign it was time already to write this post!
Anyway.... it goes like this:
I get him a drink or snack without him asking = a surprise intake of breath and a "Hnank-uuume!"
I tell him "Alaster, we're going to the library today." = "Oh! Hnank-uume, mommy!"
I hand him something = "Hnankume."
It's never ending and yet it never gets old.

Each and every time it's heartfelt and sweet and it melts me!

A Few Weird Things He Does With His Mouth/Our Favorite Words He Says Cutely:

Replace "thh," sounds with "sss" or "d" Teeth = Teesss, That = Dat
"ReMEmmmer," (remember) "Mom you said we would do ____, reMEmmmer?!?"
"I Sink So." (I Think So)
"A Scuuuze me." (Excuse Me)
"PeeCause!" (Because)
"Doctor A Filly Say" (Doctor Facilier-- from Princess and the Frog. Sometimes when we are bored we (and by we I mean everyone, Jack included) will just ask him to say it. We all get a kick out of it. Alaster included. He knows TOO much how cute he is.)
"Ash-a-lee" (Actually- I bet you thought it was my name! Am I right?)
"Carrot Wheels." (Cart Wheels)
"Tapato," (Tomato and Potato)

How He Feels About Watermelon:

"It's SOOO DAAARN RED!
And SOOO DAAARN WET!
And SOOO DAAARN YUMMY!"

How He Lets Me Know He is Done Practicing His Letters For the Day:

All his answers become "Q."
What letter is this? "A," and this? "B," and this "Q," and each answer after that is "Q," as well.

Or sometimes it comes when we are singing the Alphabet Song. "A B C D E F Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q...." etc.
Or sometimes it's not every letter but just at the end of a phrase in the song and then I know he's too silly to continue because that is one of his best all-time jokes.
"Hey Jack, listen to this! A B C D E F Q! H I J K L M N O Q! QQQ and QQQ W X Y and Q... QQQ!" (we sing the super-why alphabet song not the traditional -- if that threw any of you off)

How He Lets Us All Know When He is Done Playing Memory:

He screams and belly flops on the cards there-by ruining the rest of the game.
Laugh, Laugh, Laugh ... "I Belly Flopped!"

Just Two of the Many Things Jack has Recently Convinced Him to Do(Putty in his hands I tell you):

1. Spank me. (I heard them plotting in his bedroom and then Alaster came in the kitchen and said "Mom I have something to tell you..." and spanked me. He immediately ran back to Jack where they laughed and laughed.)
2. Say "Heey, watsup?" all cool-like to all the people at Target who passed them while the cart was standing still. Alaster kept his cool. Oh that child. If he knows he's being hillarious and getting one of us to laugh he can keep going and going without even cracking a smile. Jack meanwhile had both hands over his mouth trying to stiffle his giggles.

Something He Refuses To Do:

Grow up.
Or show any signs of wanting independence.
Okay that's not completely true. Yesterday he put his pajamas on completely by himself and he was exceedingly proud... as we all were. But prior to that happening there was MUCH poking and prodding and whining and refusing etc. etc. etc.
He's so pathetic.
I'll ask him to do some incredibly small thing... put his socks on himself...

and he says "No. I can't doooo it."
"Yes you can Alaster. I know you can."
"No. I can't doooo it."
"Okay. You try and I'll sit right next to you, and if you can't do it? I'll help. Alright?"
"Fine."
Limp hands hold up socks... barely... for one second and flop back down.
"I can't dooo it."
Pathetic.

Something He Insists On:

A Hug and a Kiss from mom before I go into my work, and also before bed.

Something I Bet You Wouldn't Guess He Is:

A Liar.

Pretty bad sometimes.
Aly hits Jack. Hard. And we are in the same room and watch it happen.
"Aly come here... did you just hit Jack?"
"Nope."
"Aly, I saw you hit him. Did you hit him?"
"Huh-uh."

What You Can Do to Get Him Excited about Anything:

Make it into a cool song. (it's imperative that you make it coool.)
"For Lunch we are having Grilled Cheese and Tomato... Grilled Cheese and Tomato... Grilled Cheese and TOMATO!"
and he'll come over and start singing along.

Dancing sometimes too.

What he Said When a Random Boy at the Park Mentioned a Rainbow:

"I was sleeping! And Heavenly Father and Jesus Made a RAINBOW!"
(One night we woke the boys up to come outside and see an amazing rainbow. We told them whose handiwork it was and what it meant. I didn't think he was listening.)

An Explanation He Recently Volunteered to His Grandfather (they were holding hands and getting far behind Jack and Gram):

"I'm walking slow because there's sand in my butt."

Alaster is a joy. When I asked Corey what he wanted to put in here he just kind of shook his head and said "I don't know. He's just so cute. It's like ridiculous. Everything about him. It's unfair to all the other kids." It's totally true. From Obstinate Alaster to Sweet Alaster we just can't get enough. He keeps us laughing and reminds us to try and enjoy life as much as he does! Oh how I love my brown eyed boy!