Can you promise me you won't grow up?

"I just have to keep growing big and strong mommy."

"But don't you love being my little boy? It'll be fun if you're my little boy forever."

"I just have to grow up and be a big boy mommy. I have to grow up big and strong."

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Earlier this morning Reid let out a big toot, and I asked, "what was that noise!"

"It's just my engine mommy. I'm a big truck and I have to go to the gas station to get more diesel fuel. It wasn't a toot. It's just my engine."

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During our usual story time, Reid climbed on my lap for snuggles. He had Ben's phone in his hand and he was flipping through pictures of spiders eating snakes (it is a real thing). We just snuggled while he gazed at the wonder of a little spider trapping, spinning, and eating an entire snake.

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We're still trying to save the worms under our apple trees from the pesticides I poured on them a about a week ago. We transported the (few) living worms to our pear tree. I loved every second of watching my little man pick up worms and carry them to their new home. 

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"Ice is my life." 

Part of growing up big and strong requires being just like daddy -- who always has ice in his water during dinner. I should know Reid demands ice in his water now (but only at dinner), but I always forget. When Ben returned Reid's drinking cup, brimming with several pieces of ice, he let out a big sigh and said "ice is my life." When we asked, "did you just say 'ice is my life'?" He smiled and repeated, "yeah, ice is my life."

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At various points in the day he was four different animals. Late morning he was a baby cow, drinking milk from his mommy cow. Just before lunch he changed into the very hungry caterpillar; after lunch he was the very hungry caterpillar with a stomach ache. During bath time he was an alligator snapping turtle, fishing for bugs in the tub. And, naturally, just before bedtime he was a spider trapping a snake (Ben) in it's web; he did poison, spin, and eat the snake.  

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When we went on our regular 4:00 walk he said "let's track them like wolves." The *them* he was referring to was our neighbors who were walking home from the school bus stop. He's really into tracking things lately. Tracking is actually a game I love to play along with. I think it is brilliant that he wants to track like whatever-carnivore-he-is-feeling-for-the-day.

*These are pictures from Saturday's story time at our local education/toy store.