As we begin the New Year, many (most) are focused on their 2016 resolutions.  And rightly so.  A new year is a time to start anew, to resolve to aim higher, work harder, do better.

Still, maybe it’s also time to reflect and think about what we’ve learned with the passage of time.  So, as we begin this new year, I’m taking a moment to think about and reflect upon what I learned in 2015, specifically from our 4-year-old son, Ivan.

1.  The Minions are hilarious.

2. Fart jokes never go out of style.

3. “Guess what? Chicken butt!” is still as fresh as ever.

4. The words “tushie,” “butt” and “poop” never fail to get a smile.

5. Vegetables are an acquired taste.

6. Sometimes people act that way because they’re hungry or tired.  Other times they act that way because they’re just a-holes.  The dividing line is puberty.  Above puberty, you gotta handle your sh*t.

7. Knowing how to pee-pee in a public place is a science and an art.

8. There’s a fine line between laughing and crying.

9. Dramatic acting (indeed, melodramatic acting) is an inborn talent.  We lose it over time.  But, any 4-year-old can act circles around any 1st year graduate acting student (and will do so if given half a chance, see, e.g., I’m wracked with sadness and sobbing and will never recover, and . . . oh wait, is that a cookie? I’m so happy I’m bursting with joy).

10. 4-year-olds are deceptively fast . . . and strong.