On Monday, we had thunder, lightning, and pouring rain all morning. Lovely! No pressure to get ourselves out the door.
After breakfast, I put the Gnome in the Moby wrap so that I could clean up, but it quickly became clear that he would prefer to kick and dance on the floor, so I got out the baby gym.
The Critter joined him in the gym.
In bed one morning a few weeks ago, I lay the Gnome next to the Critter so that I could cuddle with both my boys together. The Critter asked me to move his brother — he didn’t want to be next to him — and then told me that he liked us better “when we were three.” That is, just himself, Daddy, and me — no Gnome.
“Hm,” was about all I said. What could I say?
It seems, however, that that confession just might have been a turning point. Because all I’ve seen since then is the burgeoning friendship between these two.
Linked up at Hobo Mama, I Thought I Knew Mama, Farmer’s Daughter, and the Natural Parents Network.
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So interesting about Critter’s comment and how he seems to have turned the corner! I kind of expect a similar journey for Baby when Little Sister arrives.
Adorable shot of them on the playmat!
Charise, one of my LLL leaders said that it takes six months for the older child to accept the younger child (actually, “accept” wasn’t quite the verb she used, but something like that). For us, it seems that three months was the turning point. Though I imagine that five years from now, the Critter, like Seonaid’s 8-yo, will still be complaining about the Gnome. But hell, I still sometimes (though rarely) complain about my younger sisters — whom I adore.
Every now and then my 8-year old still says (about the 5-y.o.) that he messes everything up. She adores him… but still. ‘Tis part of life.
(On a *completely* unrelated note, I should send you a recording of my chickens. They are making a ruckus, and I think you and yours would find it amusing.)
Chickens! And their chicken ruckus! As you perhaps can tell, I have chickens on the mind these days!