I know I've posted my fair share of pictures of my two little boys, lying side by side on the floor, the bigger one with his arm protectively slung over the littler one, and the littler one looking, well, kinda startled. I thought I'd change it up today.
Totally different, right? Because they are sitting up, right?
Its funny, staying at home with two little kids, life seems always the same until suddenly you notice its different. For example, the New Baby can hold his head up now, quite confidently, and the smiles and laughing and responding is just off the charts. And so, so cute. Plus, as you can see from the picture above, he's quite large.
I remember before he was born I was really worried about sibling rivalry. I read a bunch of books and had some plans worked out, just in case. The Little Dude has really, really liked the idea of his Little Brudda right from the start. There's been no "Send the Baby back." or "I hate him." or anything like that. He likes the Baby fine. What he does not like however, is whenever I have to turn my full attention to the Baby. Getting the Baby down for his naps is the most trying part of it. The Little Dude inevitably comes running, needing me to find a tractor, or refill his water cup or declaring that he needs to use the potty in the most urgent manner. And he's never bluffing, he always does go pee when we do get to the potty (as I juggle a sleepy, swaddled, sometimes crying baby in one hand and unbutton his pants with the other) but I just don't know why he has to save it until I'm trying to get the Baby to sleep. No, that's not true, I know exactly why.
But my point is that he's improving in this regard lately. We're all getting used to life as a family with two little boys, including the little boys. For example, the hardest part of the transition for me was when I'd be trying to put the Baby to sleep, and the Little Dude, would stand up at the other end of the house yelling at the top of his lungs "I NEEEEEEEED you maamaaaaaa! I NEEEEEEEEEEEED YOOOOOUUUUUUU!" No amount of explaining that "as soon as the Baby was asleep I would be all his, and that it was only going to take 5 minutes, and will you please, please just be quiet so Mommy can put the Baby to sleep. I'll be right back. Just 5 minutes. Please don't yell!" But apparently, 5 minutes feels like an hour and a half when you are two. Also, I'd manage, somehow to get the baby down (mostly by watching for him to yawn and then quickly swaddling him and plunking him unceremoniously into his crib) and then sneak out of the room, to find the Little Dude running down the hall to meet me, and I'd say to him, "ok, quietly lets go upstairs, so that we don't wake the baby." And then he'd look me right in the eye, and very enthusiastically yell "BADAH BADAH BADABH." as I hustled him away from the Baby's room as fast as possible. Oh, it made me crazy!
But note the past tense. Because I just realized today that he has not done that in awhile. He's learned to whisper. Its a rather loud, toddler stage whisper, but I'll tell you, it beats the crap out of the yelling! He's allowed to come and find me as I 'hush the baby down', and I'll hear his urgent little footsteps coming down the hall, but he comes quietly into the room now, and walks over to me with, for example, the bag of dried apricots that he has procured for himself from one of the kitchen drawers in my absence, and whispers as he points to the bag, "Dat one and dat one are awfully big and juicy. I need dem in my hand. Open dat bag for dat one dat is awfully juicy! Please?"
That's another new vocabulary moment. His use of the word 'awfully'. Its so cute and very British. I'm trying to figure out which book it came from. We haven't started reading the good kids BritLit that I look forward to sharing with him someday (Enid Blyton, Francis Hodgson Burnett, etc) so it can't be from that. His usage is pretty hilarious sometimes. He pointed to the bouquet of flowers, far past its prime, on the kitchen table the other day, and declared "That flower is awfully dead!" Yes, yes it is.
Anyhow, back to the brotherly love. Not only is it expressed physically with the hugs and kisses and proddings that toddlers are prone to, but its expressed more and more often in words. This morning as they lay on the floor together, the Little Dude sing-songed "I looove you, I loooove, you, I love my little bruuuudddaaa." Then he did this.
Nice.
I should note, that he is not actually picking the Baby's nose, but pointing out a small scab from a cut that the sharp-nailed little Baby had inflicted on himself a few days prior. I tell you, I cut that kids nail almost every day, and he still manages to look like we let him play with the cats in the back alley!
On an unrelated note, I wanted to let you know about an event taking place tomorrow, so that I could invite anyone reading this to join in the fun. My friend Shawn has created MAXimum Pink Day in honour of a boy named Max who, one year ago tomorrow, took a stand for gender equity that is admirable in a child so young. Here's the story:
On June 9, 2010 a friend's 8yr old son, was taunted by a kid at school. Max was told that he had "the guts of a girl".
On June 10, 2010, Max wore his sister's pink hoodie to school to boldly state that "the guts of a girl" is a compliment, citing the strength of a little girl in his class who was fighting cancer.
On Friday, June 10, 2011, I will be wearing pink to honour Max and the gutsy women in my life. I have not forgotten Max's incredible statement, and I will not forget the women whose courage and commitment continue to inform and impact my life.
Do you have the guts of a girl? Join me. Wear pink on June 10. And spread the word.
Check out the facebook page here, and wear pink tomorrow in support. My boys and I will be decked out in our pinkest finery. And yes, there will be pictures, so check back tomorrow.