Colin has started attending a little preschool with other kids from church twice a week. Before this, Gabe and I had been alone together probably less than ten times in his almost two years of his existence. I have always felt a little guilty that Gabe doesn't get as much alone time as Colin did when Colin was a toddler, and it is really nice now to have a chance to connect more with just him. Last week we walked slowly through the grocery store and I pointed various items out to Gabe, and he smiled sweetly, grunted his responses, and pulled me down by the neck for hugs and kisses.
Contrast that with my trip to Super Walmart today with both of them. They were yelling and hitting each other just twenty minutes into it, Gabe looked like he was ready to bite (yes, I have a biting toddler), both of them kept climbing out, and Colin had picked up a pair of handcuffs that he wanted me to buy for him. After telling him no and giving him every rational reason I could - I don't just buy him toys any ol' day, he has already broken three pairs of handcuffs, and he does naughty things with handcuffs (before your dirty mind strays, let me explain that he will handcuff two doors together and then drive his bike through them) - he was still pleading his case and I just gave the mom-favored standby -"because I said so." Then Colin started dropping them on the floor so I would pick them up. The second time he did this and I bent down to get them, I got my raspy, trying-to-hold-in-the-rage-voice and as I came up I barked, "Colin! I am so sick of this! Quit it!", only to catch the eyes of a kind and shocked looking elderly man who was coming around the corner and trying to move around my massive two-seats-in-front cart.
Sooooooo, you can see why it is nice to be able to enjoy my boys on their own sometimes. I have found once drawback though.
After my trip to Aldi last week with just Gabe , I took him home and as I was putting everything away and was distracted, he grabbed some blueberry yogurt that was sitting out from breakfast. It was bad enough that he ate gross, warm yogurt, but he actually took it and dumped it on himself. I didn't even attempt to wipe up the gooey purple mess. His clothes came right off and went straight into the washer. As I wiped his face and dressed him in clean clothes, I started thinking about how weird it was that he did that. Gabe really isn't the type to get into messes. Then I realized that Gabe really is that type. Most toddlers are. Gabe just usually has a four year old brother around who likes to inform Gabe of what is and what isn't allowed. If Gabe doesn't listen to Colin when this informtion is bossily presented, Colin is quick to let me know that Gabe is up to s0mething. Have you noticed that a lot of oldest siblings are bossy (sorry Christie)? Well, I betcha that their parents were darn thankful for it on many occasions.
