Aaron, present day.

I feel the need to put a bit in this, our family journal, about how our kids are. Aaron started another year of Pre-School through the district this year to receive speech therapy and help with some fine motor delays. His teacher, Mrs. Waker, always tells me that "Aaron really is way too smart for this class." I just smile and nod.

Aaron has and continues to be our sweetheart. He is so full of love and compassion and he wants to give it to anyone who is around. He calls our 14 yr old neighbor, Jared, his "bff". And was in tears just the other day when Jared was out playing basketball with some of the bigger kids in the neighborhood. "Jared doesn't want to be my friend anymore. He only wants to be with the big kids. I'm not big, I'm only 4!" Bless Jared's heart. I told his mom about how sad Aaron was and the next day Jared invited Aaron over to play on his gaming console with him. Today I saw him bringing Aaron along while a few of the older boys were playing hide-n-seek in the neighborhood.

Along with Aaron's deep compassion comes immense emotions. He was absolutely FURIOUS yesterday when we went to church and he did not have scriptures! "Take me NOW to the bookstore and buy me SCRIPTURES!" All through sacrament meeting. Until of course he got up to bare his testimony. It was his second time, the first time being last month with Dad. This time he went up with Olivia. He says next time he's going on his own. In primary he's funny to watch. He'll raise his hand for any question and then lean forward to me and say, "What's the answer?" One time a guest speaker was talking about the mission call he had just received and asked the kids, "How old do you have to be to serve a mission?" Aaron blurted out, "19"! I was impressed. But I really shouldn't be amazed at what comes out of his mouth anymore. His teacher said that she was talking to his occupational therapist and had said, "In the beginning I just thought he was l-a-z-y, but..." Aaron quickly cut her off and said emphatically, "I'm not lazy!" In Bed Bath and Beyond the lady told me what I was looking for was in the "cleaning" aisle. Aaron pointed to each of 3 signs in a row and said, "There it is, cleaning". He was right on.

He rides the bus to and from school and actually enjoys it this go around. It's a short ride both ways. His pick up driver's name is Ms. Shiela and she mistakenly always calls Aaron, Lucca (the boy who is picked up after Aaron). One day she opened the bus door and said, "Goodmorning AARON!" and started laughing. I was confused. She told me that the previous day, as Aaron was getting buckled up with the help of the bus aid, Ms. Lily, when he said, "What if I called you Ms. Lily all the time?". Ms. Shiela thought that to be a good point and has never missed his name since.

Aaron tells me he loves me out of the blue all of the time. He'll be washing his hands, eating lunch, watching tv or sitting on the toilet. "Mom, I love you."

He is a BIG kid too, or so people tell me. At 44" he weighs 48lbs. People look at him compared to other 4 year olds and assuming the size they go to pick him up and, "Ugh!". Yeah, he's thick. When it turned cool the first time a few weeks back I told him to put some jeans on for school. He came in barely even able to pull up his size 5 Levi's. He's got his dad's "birthing hips", I call them, and those monstrous thighs. Dad tells him all the time he's going to be our middle line backer and we'll travel all across the country to watch him play for his university. (Nothing like setting high expectations.) Aaron's caught on. Yesterday when he just walked in the door from church, he hadn't even taken his shoes off yet, "Dad, Let's watch FOOTBALLLLL! Who's playing? Who do we want to win?" Would I love it if he was that excited about church? Of course. But you have to admit, it's pretty darn cute. He knows his strength and is very aware of his "size". Admittedly probably because he hears us talk about it frequently, other people comment on it often as well. But he will go up to a boy who is smaller than him and just stand there inches away from his face. Just staring. Once I even saw him push a boy in the chest with his finger and say, "I'm bigger than you." AAHHH! I couldn't believe it! I have a bully!

His favorite song to sing as of late is Nephi's Courage. He only knows one part and he sings/yells it with all his might. (He does it so vehemently he goes red in the face. "I WILL GO, I WILL DO THE THING THE LORD COMMANDS!" Over and over and over again. I guess it's better than what he used to sing/yell, "COME FOLLOW ME THE SAVIOR SAID!" (The drill sergeant voice matches Nephi's Courage a little better. Somehow I can't picture the Savior yelling "come follow me".

All in all he is my sweetheart. My mom had told me, when we were thinking of the name Aaron, that it is a soft name and that it might "affect" him. I can't think of a more perfect name for him.