perfect sleeps

perfect sleeps each day for about 2-3 hours. i think thats a bit excessive for a
4 year old.
but i figure his body will wake itself when its ready to,
so i let it go on...
when he isn't sleeping we do this in the afternoon:

or this:

.................
sometimes i forget my little men are actually still little men.
they have such a front.
always exuding such bravado.
for all the times they will hug me or
want me to hug them
they really are physical
and tough
and love wrestling and fighting
and everything else associated with "boys."
even in their little hugs its very obvious they are
boys, and not
girls.
little girl hugs will linger, usually
a secret is whispered,
usually a smile shared.
not so with boys.

i see the boys wrestle all the time.
lately two of the little men have taken to random
outbursts of violence.
i'm not kidding.
neither are the marks on my body, and on
their little bodies.
kicking and "challenging" have become the
cool things to do. i hope its a season, but i've had to
discipline more this month,
then the past 3 months combined.
i hate disciplining the boys.
*frown*

today i made the boys lasagna. after eating and playing for a bit, ruben and johanno headed home to take   their naps. perfect informed me he didn't need to sleep today.
i wasn't in the mood to argue or even explain how its necessary for him to sleep, so i figured we'd just play together.
within 20 minutes (i knew he'd cave...) he said to me so quietly:
"sleep bekah. i want to sleep."
i told him i think thats great, let me close the curtains first for you.
he said to me then: "no you work, i need you to sleep with me. please, bekah?"
he looked up at me with his big chocolately eyes and i couldn't' say no.
so on the floor i found myself.
his arms intertwining with mine.
his small little body curled into mine.
a smile on his face.
within 3 minutes he was out.
i'm not joking.
that boy (and boys in general, no?) have an
uncanny ability to have head hit pillow and be out cold.
only, perfect prefers the floor, so no pillow for him.
but you get what i mean.

i lightly slipped away from his grasp and went to work writing this post.
sweet little boy. he is a little boy.
his sweet simple request reminded me that he (and all my little men)
are still indeed little men.
sometimes i forget.
we have such good,
and funny,
conversations,
and they complete their work with little fanfare like i've been told
most boys their age do or have or throw, that i simply
think they are my age only
midgets or something.
ok, i have yet to think they are midgets but i do sometimes think
they are older than what they are.
how could you not?

but today i'm reminded that these tough
little guys do in fact
still need a lot of reassurance and love
and nurturing.

i'm so glad to have the ability and time to give them what they
need.
be it teaching them english.
teaching them their colors.
teaching them to count.
teaching them about Jesus and miracles.
i love teaching them about His miracles.
or simply giving them comfort from my presence close by
as they drift off to sleep.