He's My Favorite. . .Both of Them

 I heard you gasp. “BUT HOW CAN YOU SAY ONE IS BETTER THAN THE OTHER!?” Because I can. And that’s exactly what I did when I wrote awhile back how babies are better than big kids. Some of the main bullet points were that big kids can be smelly, loud, emotionally volatile and dangerous. But they can also be the coolest little humans you’ll ever have the privilege of hanging out with. Now my “baby” is a toddler and the phase has bumped up a notch in the frustration department. While I relish the time I get to spend alone with my toddler while my big boy is off at school, there’s no denying that these big ones come with perks as they grow up as well. And today. . .I want to bask in the blessedness of Big Boys.

Oh the self sufficiency! I still remember the first Saturday morning I woke up to  Mr. Grouchy Pants watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and eating a a bowl of cereal that he had gotten himself. Bryan and I both celebrated a bit knowing that we had finally made it to that point in parenthood where we could sleep in ever so slightly come the weekend. (We later mourned the loss of gluttonous sleeping in seeing as we are now awoken in the early morning by the squaking and arguing over toys from the room down the hall. . .the joys of siblings.)

Grouch has cool toys. The kind of toys I have no shame in admitting to playing with when he’s not around. Foam dart guns, superheroes, really cool puzzles and building blocks and not to mention the grand poobah…an Xbox Kinnect. It’s also fun to play games with him now that we’ve moved past the basics of stuffed animals and chewing on plastic balls. The movies and TV shows certainly get better as well. (I see your WonderPets and raise you classic Tom & Jerry.)  

Kids are funny, whether they mean to be or not. Today Grouch proclaimed “MOM. I AM NOT ENTERTAINED.” from the backseat confirming that he truly does believe it is my sole duty in life to make sure he is never bored. I assured him that only boring people are capable of being bored and he went on to find a superhero dog and make it his car pet.  

Stinker is an excellent toddler, top notch when it comes to toddlers. But Grouch as a big brother? Oh how my heart melts with the love he has for his baby brother. Now that we've made it past the baby phase, Grouch finds Stinker a lot more entertaining. What he doesn't realize during their Saturday morning squirmishes is that I pretty much brought the best. toy. ever. home for Mr. Grouchy Pants. Not to mention that Grouch is easily one of Stinker’s favorite toys as well.  

Toddlers and big kids both have their struggles and bonuses, and over the last few months I have really tried to focus more on the bonuses than the difficulties.  

What’s one of your favorite features of your big kid?