I'm a mother to a goat.

if you were to ask me how my sweet almost three year old talks to me these days, well, I would show you this video.  Please note:  The goat is ender.

How can I convince you that this is a 91% accurate depiction of our son?  You just gotta believe me.  You don't have to watch the whole video, but keep in mind I live it all day long. 

Zander and I have ruminated over ender's hang ups to the point where the other night we just looked at each other and knew we needed to quit it.  Yes, he screams, spits, hits, talks non stop, hurts other people's feelings with his outburst (you don't want to be the person nearest him when he accidentally hurts himself), but we decided to take a deep breath and talk about what makes ender so cool.

~ a tender heart.
he brushes the hair from my eyes
he'll stop at nothing to make cora laugh again when she starts to cry

~ a reader
when the house is unnaturally quiet, I know he's not getting into trouble, but has gone to his room to read.
Right now he enjoys the Berenstain Bears. 

~ a brave one
things can startle him easily, but he fights for his courage.  if zander is "attacking" him, he frantically fumbles for his imaginary sword, and when he finally find it in his imaginary holster/hilt, (phew!), he looks up with confidence "Ahhh, I fight you in the name of the Lord!"

~ an imagination
a hammock is a basketball hoop, his shields are now snowshoes, he converts his meals into an arsenal of guns, porch lights are stars, clouds are elephants,

~ cautious
he won't do anything unless he's convinced its a good idea for him, and once he tells himself "yes" he's full throttle. 
just last month he jumped off the couch for the first time and I praised him and told him to do it again, but don't hold onto the arm of the couch the next time.  Most parents try and keep their kids from that kind of crazy.  Ender needs a little encouragement.

~an idea man
Ender was adamantly requesting muffins for breakfast, but we didn't have any.
Ender: "Lets make them, then!"
Me: "We don't have a muffin tin, sorry" (Trying to get out of it)
Ender: Well, we could use a cupcake tin instead.  That could work. Yeah, that's my idea!"
Those ideas of his are always getting in the way of my laziness.

Well, that was kind of cathartic.  I love my boy.  Its tumultuous right now, but Zander said it best.

We are the rocks and our children are the waves that crash themselves upon us over and over again.
We are the anvils which God uses to mold and shape our children. 
We were chosen to be their parents.