Lots of Jolly

Dear Aidan,

It's been almost a month since Christmas, and you still bust out into song on a daily basis, singing, "Deck the hall with lots of jolly, fa la la la la la la la la!" You sang it that way all season long, and I never corrected you, 'cause why NOT deck the hall with lots of jolly. I aspire to me more like you!

You are a funny little man. You know how to make people laugh and you take great pleasure in that ability. Your little brother thinks you're the coolest thing since those light-up swords from the dollar store. I love to watch the two of you at play. You don't see it, but I do: the way Ian watches you, the way his eyes twinkle and his nose crunches and the way his little mouth twitches just before he falls into gales of laughter over something you're doing. He anticipates that laughter. He knows it's coming. He trusts you to tickle his funny bone, and you never fail him.

For the past two weeks, you and Ian have been obsessed with The Little Rascals movie. I've dubbed the two of you Alfalfa and Spanky. Ian LOOKS just like Spanky, but YOU, sweet Aidan, you ARE Alfalfa. You're so romantical! Sometimes, when you climb up on the couch and give me an unexpected kiss, I call you "My Alfalfanator". You always screw up your face and say, "Don't call me that, Mom!"... but I think you secretly like it. You're affectionate and so congnizant of people's feelings. You know what to say and how to say it, and you have a natural gift of making people feel better.

As much as you enjoy making people laugh, I think that even more, you love to laugh yourself! The happiest noise I've ever heard in my life is your laughter. It's music. Sometimes it's a symphony, sometimes it's an electric guitar riff, sometimes it's twinkling chimes carried on the wind... but it's always music. In this photo, it's the chimes leading up to the riff. I was taking photos of you at Trinity Park, and you said to Ian, "Make me laugh!" He stuck his tongue out, and you loved it. He turned around and shook his bottom at you, and you laughed even harder. I'm surprised the photos came out in focus, 'cause I'm sure there was some camera shake going on. I was laughing too - but not at Ian's antics. I was laughing at your laugh. It's infectious.

You are joy personified. I love you, Aidan!