I Call Him Sir Isaac

My favorite photo of him - late October 2012

We first met when he was 4 years, 4 months old.  Back then he called me, "Aunt Twonnie".  He is mostly quiet and polite, until the bewitching hours between 4-7P where he loves to drive me crazy by being bouncey and very verbally noisey.  He was slow to connect, and it took me a minute to understand that his touching my behind or the back of my leg, was his way of trying to engage me.  I learned quickly that he always approached from behind or an angle from which neither I could see him directly, nor others would notice.  I caught on early to just be around him, heed his cautions to approach him very subtly.  That language remains between us for the most part.  I can be working in the garden and feel a light touch across my back - sure enough I'll turn and watch him dashing away with a quiet smirk, sometimes a giggle...or I'll be chatting w/someone and feel an arm around my leg, from behind.  My response bodes well as a silent acknowledgement w/a hand tap on his head or shoulder and sometimes he'll linger there as long as he goes unnoticed by others.   Over time we seemed to speak the same language in playing with each other as well.  He's the guy you want to sit and color with.  He's the guy you want to sit and build things with.  It's quiet, steady and then, "Aunt Connie, what color do you need?" or I will ask him, "Isaac, I need your help.  What color should I use on this".  He takes that very seriously and sometimes likes to discuss it.  Or things will be quiet for a long while and he'll ask, "Auntie Connie, do you think this is beautiful?" or as we're each focusing on our separate puzzles or building, "Auntie Connie, can I tell you something?"  and then he'll tell me, just one thing, just one sentence worth that is very relevant to the task @ hand.
He has a subtle dry sense of humor and we seemed to "get" each other.  If he's not in the mood for me messin' with him, he'll say, "No fanks" and I just leave him alone.  Then, anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour or so will pass and suddenly, I'd feel his little hand in mine and just as suddenly it'd be gone, hearing him giggle as he dashed away = his way of letting me know he was out of his funk and ready for my attention.

I leave him when he's 5 years, 1 month old.
When I 1st arrived, he had no interest in coloring.  Now, he loves to sit and color for long periods of time, by himself or with others.
We had a "date" yesterday.  First, we took a walk to the Cafe around the corner.  As we walked out the gate, he slipped his hand in mine, told me which way we would go and with a big smile said to me, "Hey Auntie Connie, do you want me to sing you my favorite song?"  Me: "Of course Sir!"  And he sang, with a huge smile and watching my reaction closely, "Weeeee're off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of oz....because, because, because, because.....because of the wonderful things he does!"   The story behind that is that this is a song I have been singing with his little brother for weeks now.  He never had a reaction to it one way or the other, while his brother would elongate the 2nd to last "because" with his arms outstretched.  Isaac never once sang along, never even seemed to be paying attention.  Then, when it's just the 2 of us, he slips his hand in mine and that's the song he sings to me as his favorite.
Okay, so we arrive @ the Cafe and he wanted the same thing that I chose - so I chose a strawberry drumstick, his favorite.  When he decided we had enough room in our tummy's for one more, he chose another strawberry drumstick even though I chose a chocolate bar.
Secondly, we had a wonderful time, climbing the rocks near the ocean-front and wow he is a nimble guy on those rocks.  He loves to lead the way and have me follow him; but when I challenged him w/more treacherous rocks to climb, he was happy to follow my lead, then we'd sit, closer to the water.  He took it upon himself to sit between my legs looking outward, quiet and content....and rather than pull away, he just received it, when I kiss, kiss, kissed the side of his head.  (The ONLY other time I can get a kiss or cuddles from him is when he's very tired or if I have something he wants, I'll say, "Kissy first!" and he will come running with a smile and give me a big kiss.  We've come a long way, until recently he'd come running and only kiss my hand or arm, now he kisses my face.)
Anyway, we ended up walking the entire boardwalk, down to the boat launch.  He walked on the wall, asking me to hold his hand for balance.  I'd either "fly" him over openings (his arms outstretched) or if they were close enough, he would run and jump across.
Both he and his brother are very into Super Hero's.  They have been wearing some sort of Super Hero costume every day when @ home and recently were gifted w/their favorite figurines.  They call them their Supers.  The other day, he had given me a page of a group of them that he had colored for me.  I told him that I knew Super Man and Bat Man, but asked the names of the others.  Oh boy he so enjoyed telling me, very seriously their names and, when applicable, their alter ego names.  There was Super Man "who is also Clark Kent", Bat Man "who is also Bruce Wayne", The Flash "who is also Barry Gordon", Martian ManHunter, Wonder Woman, "who is also the Amazonian Princess Diana", Green Lantern, "who is also Hal Jordan" and Aqua Man in the background.
This is the most recent photo I have of him:

Climbing Rocks - May, 2013

Goodbye for now, Sir Isaac.  I sure do love you.