Jake on His 4th Birthday

JAKE IS:

ALL BOY
He loves balls, cars, blocks, and dinosaurs. He likes blue jeans and t-shirts. He likes to fight with swords.

EXTREME
Extremely cute. Extremely fragile--his hold on his temper is often precarious. If we don't give him what he wants when he wants it, it gets ugly. At times he is a little powder keg of seething frustration. (It's not easy being a little kid with grownups calling all the shots.)

SUSPICIOUS
He usually keeps his distance from people outside the family. He doesn't like new situations. While Jake likes to go on adventures, he prefers adventures to places he's familiar with.

FASTIDIOUS
He hates it when his hands are dirty or wet. Whenever the basketball rolls into a puddle, he insists on wiping it dry. He freaks out when he gets mud or grass stains on his jeans.

PASSIONATE
When he does something, he does it thoroughly. No half measures or quick interests for Jake. His vehicle memory tiles were his favorite things for months. Then he took up checkers and has stuck with that for months. He has liked monkeys for two years now. He spends hours cutting up paper and drawing loops on his pictures.

ENERGETIC
He's always running (and slipping!) across the hardwood floors in our home. When he's angry you want to keep a safe distance from him because his feet and hands starting flying.

TENDER
He is both tender-hearted and tender-skinned. He doesn't like being teased. Whenever he runs into anything or falls down, he needs to be comforted.

LOUD
When he wants something he gets in your face and loudly tells you what it is. When Jake's mad, the whole house knows about.

ADORABLE
It's the cheeks. And the voice. And the personality.

CONTRARY
Sometimes he is very contrary. When you ask him a question he'll answer the opposite of what's expected and stick to his answer. "No, I don't like that." Seriously?! So not true.

TOO MUCH
Sometimes Jake is more than even Jake can take. Living with himself can be difficult. We can take a break from Jake now and then, but Jake can't.

EXPRESSIVE
He is the very expressive and given to using hyperbole. "I just love you too much, kitty." "That's my favorite thing in the whole world." He makes his statements with total conviction. I wish I could remember more of them because it's so amusing hearing them come out of the mouth of a little kid.

ARTISTIC
Jake does a great job drawing. His etchings are quite elaborate. He spends a good deal of time on each work, sometimes doing both the back and the front.

A FANTASTIC HUGGER
He gives the best hugs--sometimes his hugs are so awesome you feel strangled. He likes to cuddle with the people he loves.