to be rich at such a young age

"shay atah teheay semach" (that you should be happy) The child sits in front of the class and each kid comes up and gives the birthday boy/girl some type of blessing. It's a great custom that they have at this school that my children go to.

One of the first things that most people comment on Y, my 3 year old, is that he is just so happy!! I hear it from other parents, his teacher, the people that run the school, and just about everyone that has any type of interaction with him.

Y can lighten up anyone's day. He usually walks around with a bit of a skip. He sings a lot! He loves to give hugs! He does this really cute thing in most public places. Its a march/skip type thing. He takes about 20 steps in the space he would normally take one. The result is a very loud squeeching noise. I don't know why but it always finishes with him waving his hand in the air.

At home he is so much fun to have around. He loves to help me do things. I have yet to pick any of my fruit from my trees without him being there putting them in the bucket. He loves to take little bites out of the fruit as we pick them to make sure they are good. He also loves to help me cook! He loves putting the stuff in the pots. He insists on being there when I cut onions even though the results are the same every time.

No matter what the plan is, he always gives the same reaction. He first asks, or I tell him, what we are doing, than he gives off this big "yehhhhhhhhhhhhh." In a recent trip to America we told him we were going to the county dump!! Same reaction!

Every time I'm with him he has a different favorite thing he likes to hold in his hand. It's never something normal, or something you would expect. Yesterday it was five hard black beans. Today it was the plastic top of a water bottle, the part you normally throw away. Anywhere we go they have to go with him. He sleeps with them too! I spent five minutes this morning tearing the bed apart looking for the fifth bean! It's very cute. Even YO, my 6 year old, says it's so cute.

When I drop him off at Gan it's always the same routine. I give him some type of little treat. He gives me a kiss on each cheek and runs to this little bench that lets him peek out the window. He waits there patiently till I finish dropping off Yo to his classroom and make my way out of the building. He than proceeds to blow me about five kisses and tells me he loves me. That goodbye stays with me the whole day.

The teacher said it was just so fitting for Y to give this birthday kid that blessing. This is one of the many special gifts that he has been blessed with. I hope and pray that he will always be this happy.