Being the fourth of eight children, I consider myself to be somewhat of an expert on middle children. Because of this, I've been extra sensitive to my little Peter these days. At breakfast, Benjamin will usually start reading the cereal box labels, expertly pointing out how many "G's" of sugar, fat, fiber and protein each one has. Peter, who idolizes his big brother, has started mimicking him, "reading" the labels and making up numbers, like "Sugar: three G. Fat: zero G!" We laugh, and he smiles, knowing that he's the funny one. Nora is babbling a lot these days, and so without thinking, I often babble back. Peter has picked up on the attention she seems to get for her nonsensical verbiage, and will revert to a babyish "Ga, ga!" when we ask him to repeat a verse of scripture at night. He still uses a pacifier, and although I know I should probably limit its' use to bedtime only, I haven't had the heart. It's not easy being a middle child at the ripe old age of two.
During meals, he'll often make a silly face, then laugh and say "My funny!" which of course means, "I'm funny!" And he is, but he has also been at a very trying stage, which is why I have been putting off writing this post for weeks. Potty training has come to a halt, mostly because I'm lazy. It's hard trying to figure it out all over again! With Benjamin, it was all about being a "big boy," and you could incentivize him with sticker charts and prizes. With Peter...well, the sticker chart is still empty, and those light-up Buzz Lightyear shoes that he so desperately wants to earn are still at the store. It's a whole new ballgame, and I'm totally unfamiliar with the rules.
Bedtime and nap times have also gotten increasingly more difficult. He and Benjamin have been sharing a room for a while now, but we're hitting a new dynamic as Benjamin desperately wants to sleep, and Peter does everything he can to bug his brother and keep the action going. Screaming, knocking over furniture, ripping things off the wall, jumping in Benjamin's bed...you name it. But there are also many times when he melts my heart with his sweetness. So I thought I'd capture a little of his personality in a questionnaire.
What’s your name? Peter.
How old are you? One. (holds up three fingers.) No, two.
Are you handsome? No, cool!
What color is your hair? Darth Maul.
What color is your hair? Darth Maul.
What’s your favorite color? Red.
What’s your favorite Animal? Giraffe. I like giraffes- we talk!
Do you like elephants? No! They’re scary elephants! I don’t talk to elephants.
What’s your favorite thing to eat? Soup. (we’re currently eating chili) Beef.
What’s your favorite thing to drink? Water.
What’s your favorite thing to do outside? Leaves! My play with them!
Where is your favorite place to go? Zoo.
Are you scared of the dinosaur at the Science Center? Yeah, nope. It’s not.
What is your favorite book? Robot Zot. We talk to Robot Zot!
What is your favorite movie? Teletubbies.
What is your favorite Teletubby? Red one. Po!
What is your favorite letter? Q.
What is your favorite song? I am a Child of God.
What is your favorite thing to wear? Clothes and pants.
Do you like clean clothes? Yeah! Nice a’ cozy!
Who’s your friend? Mommy! I like Alex. I like Mason. He’s a GOOD friend!
What do you want to be when you grown up? Pumpkin Eater!
What is your favorite toy? Batman Legos (He lusts after this certain Trio set at Target)
What's your favorite car? Dark. Black.
What is your favorite truck? Purple one. Mine like dump trucks!
What are your favorite shoes? Buzz Lightyear. (the shoes he wants to earn by going potty)
Are you learning how to go potty? (unenthusiastic nod)
9 comments:
So funny! His funny for sure!
Yep, we're dealing with the 2 yo middle child too. Poor kids. But how cute "Pumpkin Eater!" :)
Elisheva is stuck in the same place - middle child at two. And I don't remember Lydia's two year old year being this hard. But I was a middle child too, as well. (3 of 5). I love hearing about what Peter does, and also his interview.
Rough going. He's such a cute kid, though. I love the Pumpkin eater and the "one...no, two!" Two is a trying age. Lucy was really an intense two year old, and at times I was not very good at handling her. Good luck with the potty training thing. I've finally broken down and bought a book on how to potty train for Emily, since I'm currently 1 for 2 with my two older kids. Lucy's trained, just lazy. Sigh. Is that a middle child thing?
Give Peter a hug from Grandma Cannon! I love him!
I'm the 4th of 8 also! And though Matthew's not a middle child yet, I see a lot of similarities between him and Peter. He loves to mimic Emma, but he loves being a little snuggler too.
Such a cute idea to do an interview. I think I'll do it at each of their birthdays. So fun!
I love the "Pumpkin eater" and the "unenthusiastic nod". hahah! Wow. I like Peter! He's cute!
This had me laughing pretty good-- what a character! "Dark. Black." Batman legos. "Yeah, nope. He's not." My favorite was "Pumpkin Eater!", too. I loved your description of the "Gs" at breakfast time. So funny!
Peter sounds like a lot of fun. He sure is lucky to have such a patient, understanding middle child mother. Thank you for giving me a peek into his little personality! You are so smart to write these things down - he'll enjoy hearing them when he is older.
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