Elevens

Can I do it?  Can I come up with 11 things about all four boys for the New Year?  That’s 44 things … I don’t know if I’m that talented, but I’ll try.

RICKY

1.  He loves books.  He reads really well – 4th grade reading level – but prefers to be read to.  He’ll look like he isn’t paying any attention or is bored, but he’s really picturing the story in his mind.  It is fun watching him pick up a book and read on his own.

2.  He is very sweet with his little brothers.  He loves to hug and kiss Tommy, play with and teach Rusty stuff, and even though he and Billy argue (frequently), it is with Billy that Ricky shares his secrets and adventures.

3.  Ricky adores Scooby Doo.  While the dog is alluring, I think it is the mystery that he loves.  He will make maps and leave clues and solve mysteries all day.   If we can turn chores into a game of secret agents, Ricky is much more willing.

4.  Ricky is not nearly as picky of an eater as he once was.  He does, however, have his eating rules – he is generally opposed to potatoes in any form (even French fries);  things in sauce are gross (no stews, soups, gravies, etc.); and pop tarts are THE only breakfast food.

5.  Ricky can be coerced into eating some things.  I matter of factly told him that he likes white beans one day.  He believed me.  So if we are having chili, I add a can of white beans and those are the only ones he needs to eat.  Ricky doesn’t always fall for my mother-tricks, but when he does, it is delightful.

6.  He loves water.  He likes to swim, take baths, take showers, and even his drink of choice is water.

7.  He is very social but doesn’t have many super close friends.  He is friendly with everyone at school.  There aren’t many kids that live right around us and play dates are more work than fun (to me any way), but when he does get the chance, he is friendly to everyone.

8.  He can focus.  When Ricky wants to really think about something or listen to something, he can block out everything around him.  This will be helpful to him in some ways and is incredibly annoying to his mother at others!

9.  Ricky sleeps on the top bunk of their bunk beds.  He isn’t the least bit afraid of falling off.  He has no problems leaning over the edge or reaching out to spin the ceiling fan.  His father does not share this lack of fear.

10.  Ricky has only lost 2 teeth so far.  He isn’t in a hurry to lose any more.

11.  He loves that I write little notes and put them in his lunch box, but he’ll never admit it to me.   He’s told Kevin he likes it and he saves every one of them.

BILLY

1.  Billy wants to be a ninja.  He likes to kick and hit and run and jump.  He has been temporarily banned from watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

2.  Billy knows his colors and can count to 12.  He can sing his ABCs and knows his letters, but chooses to say “I don’t remember” rather than identifying them.

3.  He will eat most anything.  He isn’t really fond of the cookie part of the Oreo, but he will gobble up the cream center with no problems.  He would snack all day if I let him.

4.  He sleeps on the bottom bunk and falls off a couple times a week.

5.  Billy still takes naps most days.  When he gets tired, he looks tired.  He gets dark circles under his eyes and when he gets REALLY tired, he makes no sense.  He’ll carry on a whole conversation and none of it is intelligible.  We put him to bed early and down for naps, but if Billy doesn’t WANT to sleep, Billy doesn’t sleep.

6.  Billy likes to wear his boots on the wrong feet.  I try correcting him, but he seems to prefer them that way.

7.  He likes his love.  He likes to be sung to before he goes to sleep.  He likes to snuggle up while reading stories.

8.  Billy loves routine.  He does not like it when things are done differently than usual and he’ll correct you every time.  (Billy is also a bit bossy.)

9.  Billy likes balls.  He’s good at throwing and swinging a bat.  He likes to kick and chase after balls.  He, too, likes swimming and taking baths.

10.  Billy likes to pretend.  He can be Shaggy with Scooby Doo one minute and then next he’s Thomas driving along the track.  He loves cars, especially those from the movie CARS.  He is Lightning.

11.  He doesn’t sleep in.  Ever.  7:30 is late for this boy.  We could keep him up until midnight and he would get up around 7 am every time.  This is frustrating, but a fact of life at our house.

RUSTY

1.  Rusty loves his baby.  It is getting dirty and doesn’t get really clean in the wash any more, but he doesn’t care.  He loves his baby.

2.  Rusty is in a possessive stage right now.  As much as he loves Tommy, Tommy is not allowed to have/use/borrow/look at things that Rusty thinks belong to him.  Sometimes that includes me.

3.  Rusty likes to play shy.  He will give you a sideways glance and dart away giggling.  Or he’ll hide his face in a pillow and peek out to see if you are still watching him.  The whole time he is smiling.

4.  He doesn’t like diaper changes.  I don’t know why but he screams at me through many of them.

5.  He loves cars and trains.  More than I remember the other two loving cars and trains.  He even prefers his bedtime stories to be about cars and trains.

6.  Rusty comes for kisses when he gets hurt.  Then he’s all better.  I knew my kisses were magical!

7.  Rusty hums himself to sleep.  If he doesn’t go right to sleep, you can hear him humming and humming from his room.

8.  He is all about the dessert.  It is important to keep anything resembling dessert out of his view or he won’t eat his dinner.  He fixates on that dessert.  He loves his dessert.

9.  Rusty likes to hug Tommy and give him kisses.  That and yelling “No!  Mine!” are his favorite ways to interact with his baby brother.  He does like to sit on the baby too, but we discourage that.

10.  Rusty likes his pacifier.  Darn it.

11.  Rusty likes stories at bedtime, but isn’t too fond of songs.  He tells me no and bats at my mouth.  I try not to take it personally.

TOMMY

1. Tommy learned to sit up and “crawl” the same week – last week.  He doesn’t sit himself up yet, but he doesn’t fall over any more when we sit him up.  And his crawl isn’t so much a crawl as it is … well, it resembles that break-dancing move the worm.

2.  He likes to look around.  He doesn’t like blankets over his head or his view being obstructed.  This makes nursing in public difficult!

3.  He still doesn’t sleep through the night.  Why?  Why, oh, why?  But he normally takes two good naps each day, so that is something.

4.  His back is very ticklish.

5.  Tommy only likes one kind of pacifier – the one they gave him at the hospital.  And he only really likes THE one they gave him at the hospital.  Ones that look identical aren’t quite the same.

6.  Tommy likes to snuggle, when he isn’t too busy looking around.

7.  He loves to watch his brothers play.  He is fascinated with all 3 of them.

8.  He already likes books too … but instead of listening to the story, he’d rather just eat the book.

9.  Tommy does not cry himself to sleep.  We’ve tried.  He just gets mad and cries harder and harder.  Then you finally give in to your heart and go to him and he falls asleep instantly in your arms.  But don’t lay him down again … he’ll cry.

10.  Tommy likes to grab things – hair, paper, phones, toys, pets, his pacifier.  He prefers to put his own pacifier in his mouth, so we hand it to him first and he plops it in.

11.  He loves his momma best (for now).  He gets a great big smile when I walk in the room and twists and arches to get to me.  Okay, if I’m already in the room and his poppy or Grandmama walk into the room, he’ll do the same for them, but I can pretend it is all for me.