"It's the Earf" and "I'm a Man"

Today as we were running errands I was taking Joaquin out of the car to put him in the shopping cart. Just as I lifted him he shouted "Mommy, it's the earf" I looked to see what he was pointing at and there it was...beautiful blue sky, white puffy clouds and a big mountain...the earf. He repeated again, "it's the earf" and I said, "yes, baby, it is the earf." and kissed him.

Currently Joaquin begins every prayer with "Thank thee for the dinosaur park" and then proceeds to thank Heavenly Father for other things but he always begins with this phrase. He loves everything dinosaur. He knows the names, as I now do, of many dinosaurs and he never seems to get enough. Although he is amazed by them all he is especially taken with the ferocious carnivores ie...tyranosaurus, gigantosaurus (yes there is such a one) allosaurus, velociraptor, utahraptor etc...

He recently began to routinely tell me "I am not cold Mommy" if he knows we are about to leave to go somewhere. Repeatedly as I rush around getting bottles, diapers, keys, shoes I hear "I'm not cold Mommy" I realized this was due to the fact that he doesn't want to wear a coat. So I always respond with "but it is cold outside so you need to wear a coat" and of course he repeats "but I'm not cold Mommy." A week or so ago we were going through what I call his exit ritual when he decided to try a new tactic.
Him - "I'm not cold Mommy"
Me - "But it is really cold outside so you need to wear a jacket"
Him- "I'm a Man"
Me - "What? You're mad?
Him - "No! I'm a man, I don't need to wear a coat!"
Me - "Oh, well Daddy is a man too and he wore his coat this morning."
Him - "I'm not cold Mommy"
Compromise - he carries the coat with him:)

Nothing quite so moving as a 3yr old declaring he is a Man.

Just this weekend as we were having family prayer, I was pleading for comfort, peace, and guidance for Gracie Gledhill's family and for a good friend of mine who is very sick. I began to cry as I was praying for them...we were fasting for them...I suddenly felt two little arms wrapped tightly around me, holding me, trying to comfort me. Guess in some ways he is a man...a little boy with a manly spirit :)