It is amazing the things your kids inherit from you. Height, eyes, skin color are the most obvious. It is the other qualities that they inherit that can make the hair stand up on the back of my neck as I cringe and wonder what I have gotten myself into.
Brady is 3.5 going on 5. He is quick, curious and tenacious which is a winning trifecta when put in a 3 year olds body. He wants to know about everything and will not accept the face value answer. He wants to understand it... thoroughly. This is where those little white lies parents tell really become mammoth red blazing lies that are simply too exhausting to continue so you have to start over and fess up. Unfortunately I think this is partially my trait. One devoted reader of this blog has limited me to only 3 questions a day because she was tired of the rapid fire questions I would spout at her. I've tried limiting Brady to 3 questions... it doesn't work. Damn. So Deborah, rest easy, I am paying my penance.
Brady is also rapidly developing and refining his negotiation skills. Typical night time dialogue:
Daddy: Brady it is time for a bath.
Brady: I want to take a shower.
Daddy: OK, take a shower in your bathroom.
Brady: No, a Daddy shower in Daddy's bathroom.
Daddy: Fine.
(after a short time in the shower)
Daddy: you have 2 minutes left.
Brady: 5
Daddy: 2
Brady: 4
Daddy: 3
Brady: OK, 3
(short time later)
Daddy: We'll ready 2 books.
Brady: 5
Daddy: 2
Brady:4
Daddy: 3
Brady: OK, 3
And so it goes. It appears Shay is paying his penance too.
And then there is sweet adorable Cullen who is stubborn as a mule. It is hard to place where this apple falls from as there is no shortage of stubborn in this house. But this particular degree of stubborn seems all too familiar.
Cullen can do anything he puts his mind to. Eat better than most newborns in spite a bilateral cleft? Sure. Use a sippy cup without interventions? Yup. Sign several words to make a complete sentence? Of course. But you can't ask him to do it, you can't bribe him to do it, you can't encourage him to do it. Nope, you are not a part of the process. It is 100% up to him. Let's take walking. Cullen has been taking 'baby steps' for several weeks. We encouraged, we bribed, we cheered... then we simply let go. And a few days later he chose to walk. And I mean walk. Not walk holding on to something stable over solid soft surfaces. No, I mean walk like he is training for his first toddler marathon to be followed by his first rock climbing adventure. There is nothing that can get in his way of getting where he wants to go. Some call it perseverance (we usually do this when we are describing this quality in ourselves), but truly it is just a good ol' stubborn streak that fuels his fire. And so it goes.
I hope they never change.
R
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Enljoyed the tales of double-dose stubborn streaks!
ReplyDeleteSince we will forget very quickly the things they do, please also relate the story about the Christmas tree coming up out of the ground, and who can say "stupid." Brady also learned to ride his bike and drive his car. He can also directionally kick a ball which fact impressed the heck out of me!
Cullen learned to bait and switch with his brother so as to get a toy "first," and he too learned to sit in a chair and then bail out of it. He also learned to appreciate "granddad shoes" and got some himself!
Granny Garr
Oh, this is the best. :) Thank GOODNESS the McCann's are not reproducing...can you imagine? I hope you have a hidden camera as to get Cullen's steps on film. Love ya!
ReplyDeleteI finally got around to adding an RSS feed to your blog (do you use "Brief" as part of your Firefox?--it's wonderful) and have been happily reading your blog posts from the past 6 months. It's wonderful to be able to keep up with Brady becoming a "big boy" and Cullen working his way through all his medical challenges. We hope to see you all soon. (this may post under my initials since that's the name I use when I post comments on my students' blogs).
ReplyDeleteThought of another "event" that needs chronicling!
ReplyDeleteIn March or April Brady and Cullen came over to spend the night. After they'd been here an hour or so I plopped Cullen on the bed to change his diaper. Got all ready and couldn't find any diapers. Brady was playing in the hall, so I asked him if he knew where his mom had put them (lots of back packs and luggage come with two kids on an overnight stay!) Brady came in the bedroom, looked at me with the funniest look on his face (grinning from ear to ear) and said, "No." The look was and "boy are YOU in trouble!"
The significance of no diapers for Cullen was well appreciated by THIS three year old!
Granny Garr