Michael, or Mike, or Mikey, or often Andr...Michael!

I literally cannot WAIT for Michael's parent teacher conference in a few weeks.  This child confounds me.  Not in a bad way.  But in that I just have NO IDEA what he is up to.  I'll ask him to add two things together and he'll tell me the answer is "one hundred million five billion".  But then just yesterday he announced, "Mom?  25 plus 25 is 50 because 20 and 20 make 40 and 5 and 5 make 10, so 40 an 10 make 50."  He will refuse to rhyme words...instead telling me zombie or fart rhyme with cat.  But then he reads a BOB book for the first time, sounding out words and figuring it out like a champ.  He just is not a show off like his big brother was and not sweet and compliant about answering questions like his sister.  Confounds me.

He is a comedian.  He loves loves loves to make people laugh and will do or say anything to get that from you.  He often gets you to laugh without even meaning to.  He has the most expressive eyebrows, and they raise and lower seemingly with their own will.  It is especially endearing when he is being very sincere or very manipulative.  He also appreciates humor greatly...especially potty humor or physical gaffs.  He has the loudest most contagious belly laugh.  I dare you to not laugh when Michael gets the giggles.  It is impossible.

Michael is unpredictable with games.  He begs his dad and Andrew to play chess with him, and then patiently accepts their advice and loses every time gracefully and asking for more.  But then you'll play Candyland with him, and if he gets the gingerbread man card, he will kick the pieces and flip the board and storm off in anger and frustration.  As far as I can tell, if Michael asks to play a game (rarely), then you are good to go.  If you convince him to play a game with you...all bets are off.

He is quite perceptive to emotions.  And he will try to bend them back to his favor if need be.  One time when he was asking me to wipe him, a task I find very irritating because he is WAY older than my other kids were when I didn't have to wipe them anymore.  As I burst into the bathroom in response to his hollars for help, he looks sweetly up at me, bats those big old eyelashes, and says, and I quote, "Mom?  Did you know that it is VERY IMPORTANT for kids to have grownups?  Kids need grownups to protect them and feed them and take care of them.  Wouldn't it be sad if a kid didn't have a grownup to be with them?"

Schmoozer.  Manipulator.  Crafty.  Clever.  Quick as a whip.  Endearing.  Loveable.  Future politician?

He loves to build with blocks, legos, anything that can be built with.  He makes bizarre shapes and buildings and creations and then creates a huge back story to go along with it.  As I type this, he has a bunch of wooden blocks laid out.  He is explaining to me that one side is electric and blocks people from the new watery house.  There are cymbals on each side of the building that are used to call their friends and/or zombies to come and party and/or eat their brains.  He has a crazy imagination and can talk on and on about imagined computer game boards or inventions or whatever.

Michael's favorite subject at school is math.  He will race off the bus to tell me that he got to do math with Mrs. M today!  He is just now learning the names of the kids in his class.  Jeff and I went in to be mystery reader last week, and Michael was so so so excited.  I helped with his class's Halloween party, and Michael was so well behaved, such a good listener, so funny and good.  He makes me proud.  When we are at school functions, there are always kids yelling out, "Hi, Michael!"  He sometimes responds to them, but is mostly aloof.  It worries me a bit, but clearly they like him, so who knows what is going on in his head.  He call the kids in his class "My so and so", as in, "Mom, there's my Ian and my Will.  I'm going to go play with them!"

Michael will eat just about anything...but never consistently.  He'll wolf down scrambled eggs one morning and then when you make it for him the next day, he'll act as if you've offered him monkey brains or something.  There is no such thing as making the foods that he likes, because it changes so much day to day.  Except for pizza.  That boy can put away pizza like it's his job.  He is wiggly at meal times, and when Andrew is sitting next to him at dinner, (who thought of that seating arrangement?), Michael is constantly reaching over to touch him or get in his face.  We have many many conversations a day about personal space and keeping out of others'.  In gymnastics, he is constantly hanging on the teacher or another student, always giving kisses and hugs...even to random kids on the other soccer team that he doesn't know.  Personal space.  Michael does not understand it.

Michael is sensitive and resilient.  He is adorable and annoying.  He plays great by himself and desperately needs someone to play with.  He loves talking but not answering questions.  He is a man of contradiction...and we love him so!