My favorite pencil

I took Nate with me for a CVS run a few days ago, and he was incredibly good and patient as I figured out which transactions I wanted to make. It was a great CVS week (I took 12 free toothpastes to donate this morning), so I was there for quite a while. He handled it like a trooper.

Near the end of the checking-out, he noticed some pencils in a jar - the fun kind with big erasers. Grabbing one, he announced that he needed it. I started to ask him to put it back when he lunged at the jar again and said he needed one for Jack, too. And one for Dada, and one for Mommy. He picked out four, counted them right out, and held them like a bouquet. You tell me which parent wouldn't buy those pencils for him to bring home. Tell me and I'll go shake the life back into them.

This is the pencil he picked out for Dada.



The pink one was his, the orange one was Jack's, and mine was yellow.

He's not even 3 years old yet. I am stunned by his generous spirit and his love for Jack. He certainly has his share of "mine!" episodes, but over and over he surprises me with his behavior. Today I asked him if he wanted to go to the playground and his first question was "Can Jack come?" (I love that he thinks Jack's attendance is optional.)

I love this boy.