I can’t write things down quick enough these days. A little boy on the verge of turning four and a baby on the brink of 18-month do-it-myself-ness. That’s a lot of new things each day. Things that make us laugh, shake our head, or sigh in exasperation. They are each going to push us in different ways. Where one will be easy, the other will be hard. We’ve already seen this and it only seems to be amplified each day. I think one might be glass half full while the other is half empty. And they will probably switch opinions based on the situation. Their bond is growing stronger every day, but we haven’t been quick enough to document it.
Quinten, the bouncer.
He recently decided that he likes to sit on people and bounce up and down. I found this out the hard way. He climbed on my stomach when I was laying on the floor. Wrigley has also found out the hard way, usually when he’s fast asleep. Quinten thinks it’s funny to 1. sit on the dog, and 2. bounce on him. Wrigley doesn’t agree with this logic. Quinten took it a step further this weekend. He sat on Maximus while he was on the floor. And when he started bouncing up and down, Maximus started giggling. That made Quinten giggle and the next thing we knew they were rolling around on the floor. There have also been a handful of times when Quinten plopped down on Maximus’ lap and no one screamed or pushed the other. Did it actually happen if there’s no photographic evidence?
Maximus, the toy giver.
This one doesn’t happen very often. It’s usually the opposite of sharing, but I asked Maximus to get Quinten a car to play with and he worked really hard to find him a toy. He wanted to find the right toy, which wasn’t in the house. We usually have to break up tantrums after they both fight over the same toy. This time Maximus willingly went to find a toy before he started playing with one that we both knew Quinten would want. Progress. Major progress. And much less screaming.
Quinten, the spinner.
Another new trick that he pulled out last week. Spinning in circles. It’s as fast as a 16-month-old can do it, but it’s pretty funny. Luckily, no injuries have been sustained yet. However, since he doesn’t understand when we tell him to move or stop, I suspect this won’t last too long. He spins around a few times and then bobs and weaves a bit before falling to the ground and laughing. What’s funnier than watching a baby sway across the floor? Of course he doesn’t usually do it just once.
Maximus, the imaginer.
His mind is always going. Always remembering and always plotting. Always looking to the next thing. Every night we go through a list a questions. “Mommy, what are we going to do after we get up? And then what? And then what? What next?” He got up from his nap yesterday and showed me some blocks he had put together, “Look Mommy! This is the shooter guy.” Sure. He likes making up songs, too. Those are usually too random for me to remember. Yesterday he sang a song about the Easter bunny. “Eeee-aster bunny. Eeee-aster bunny….” My mom brain took over and I can’t remember the rest, but it was something about the Easter bunny bringing eggs and shoes and sunglasses.
Quinten, the professional walker.
Besides spinning in circles, he’s also a master at running. If you need a good laugh, come to my house. His cheeks jiggle when he runs and his little chubby legs carry him much faster than you’d ever imagine. He also has his sights set on where he’s going. There’s no changing that direction unless you pick him up, but beware of the moving limbs! He spent a little time practicing walking backwards in our living room. The look on his face was absolutely priceless. He gave us the side-eye as he s l o w l y started walking backwards. As he got more confident, he started grinning.
Brothers, the supporters.
Since Quinten is learning a lot of new things, we all clap for him a lot. When he puts his drink back on his tray (instead of throwing it on the floor), we all cheer for him. Sometimes when we aren’t next to him, Maximus cheers for him when he uses his fork and spoon or puts his drink down. Quinten loves the support! Quinten recently clapped at me for putting him into his carseat. I’m told the day before he “helped” Bryan with the snaps and then clapped. Whatever, I still did a good job! 😉 Maximus has been into walking OVER cracks when we go on walks. (Also, walking and not sitting in the stroller.) “We have to step over the cracks, Mommy.” Last night, Bryan and Maximus were jumping over the cracks. After a few lessons and a few successes, I looked down at Quinten and saw him clapping at them. He did it a few more times before they realized he was clapping for them.
For all the crazy, hectic, loud moments at our house, there are just as many sweet, quiet, loving moments. From two boys who love to give hugs and kisses to two hyped up little people running through my house. We seem to see and feel it all these days. Looking at life through the eyes of children is definitely the place to be!
