Ian Turns Three!
// September 1st, 2010 // No Comments » // General
Today is Ian’s third birthday! Usually this is the point where I’m expected to say, “I can’t believe how quickly these three years went by.” And while that is true, my first thought is what a crazy three years it has been.
Boys are very different than girls – I didn’t think that much energy could be bundled into one small person. I understand the phrase “Moms of boys work from son up to son down” more every year. He reminds me a bit of a ping pong ball, always bouncing from one thing to another, and never stopping until he says he’s ready for bed.
Okay, that’s not entirely correct. Ian will sit still for a few things – that would be playing with his pirates or reading his two favorite books, Goodnight Goon and Shiver Me Letters. But my house bears the scars of his energy and desire to figure out what happens when you smash, rip, squish and scratch things. The other morning I woke to the sound of him poking a hole in his wall with one of his swords (his absolute favorite toy – we have an antique crock by the front door that houses his arsenal). He tells us he does things because he wants to see what happens, and while we don’t want to ruin that inquisitive nature of his, we do have to work to find better outlets for it! That’s why we’ve decided not to invest in any real remodeling projects for the house until he’s older, just to be on the safe side.
Ian has such an array of expressions, most mischievous, which tell the entire story. Being easy to read gives us a slight advantage, as we know certain faces mean he’s about to do certain things and we can try to beat him to it. Mostly this means wreaking havoc on his sister while she plays Barbies – the dolls are all orderly and ready to dance with the prince until Ian Monster comes crashing through.
While Ian is absolutely ornery and at times exhausting, he is also a delight and so much fun. He begs to be tickled endlessly, and can swing for hours straight and still want to swing more (the actual record to date is two hours with Pappy Hensell). He can seriously crack us up with what he says and his relentless fascination with his anatomy, which he also likes to chat about.
And despite the constant bickering, I can slowly see a bond forming between Ian and his sister. They spent several hours this weekend playing so well together. They also love to team up and try to tackle Mommy and Daddy, which is the fastest way to get them to work together. They also love to dance and sing together, getting down to everything from James Brown to Metric or Lady Gaga and everything in between with a good beat. It was funny to hear Ian tell his dad he was playing his music too loud the other day – one day it will be the reverse conversation I’m sure!
Ian also enjoys cooking, and he and Alexandra have taken to helping me make dinner. It makes the process take a lot longer, but I figure his future wife will one day thank me for it.
And while everyone told me boys were difficult to potty train, Ian has been rather easy and using the potty for months. His aim is good most times, but when he is distracted, he can miss, and miss big time. I wonder if there is a place he hasn’t marked. I know our yard has been sufficiently covered as he’s notorious for dropping his drawers in the yard whenever the urge hits – one day flashing a group of five teenage girls who thought he was the cutest thing ever. I’ll never forget one of the first times he peed in the toilet and exclaimed, “Oh wow, Mommy! I made bubbles!”
Ian has added a level of chaos to our lives that I’d never imagined. I don’t mean that in a negative way, it’s just we’re always go-go-go, and often times that is go-go-go after him!
That said, I’m so glad to have the opportunity to have a daughter and a son. I remember at the ultrasound, I was so betting on another girl, and there was our boy with his anatomy in full display (which has not changed one bit!). My first thought was, I don’t know how I will relate to a boy. But now I get it – my relationship with each of my kids is different and as much as I want to treat them the same to be fair, they need to be parented very differently for two reasons – because they are different people and as much as I believed I’d never say this, but also because of their gender. There are definite differences that transcend personality alone.
On his birthday in particular, I am reminded of the joy I felt when I learned that while I’d miscarried his twin, the other baby was still there – our Ian. He is a tough kid with a very tender heart and that fighting, spunky personality from the womb is still in place. I am very thankful and lucky (and yes, a little crazy too!) to be your mom, Ian – happy third birthday and I love you!
