Getting to Know You: Part 2

In getting to know what our little ones personalities are really like, last week I touched on some of the things they enjoy right now. This week I will focus on a couple of the things they aren't so fond of, which also helps you get to know them a little better.

Lucas has always been a laid back fellow so when there is that rare something that he doesn't like - he makes it very, very clear. In recent weeks, he has started throwing tantrums, which are actually a little too cute to take seriously. When he is upset about something he literally throws himself onto the ground head first, arms up, crying and thrashing in textbook tantrum fashion for about 15 seconds and then stops and gets up to continue about his business in a perfectly fine mood.

His biggest dislike these days, by far, is sitting in the bathtub. He has never been the biggest fan of that bath in the first place, but we have bent over backwards figuring out ways to entertain him so that it's not so bad and he began to tolerate and even kind of enjoy it. But ever since he's developed the ability to walk he hates sitting. He particularly hates sitting when he's being forced to do so. And as you know, standing in the bath can be treacherous for a little one. So for the last few weeks, bath time has been an epic battle to try to keep him seated for the majority of the time. This involves lots of tears and screaming and Mommy, Daddy and Ellie constantly repeating "Lucas, no standing in the bath." - and it is a losing battle. If it weren't so dangerous (particularly considering that he still doesn't have the best balance in the world) I might even give in just to keep the peace. All that struggling is completely exhausting!

Another dislike is when someone goes out the front door without him. Luke's love of the outdoors mixed with his love for his Mom, Dad and sister make this a particularly upsetting one for him. He rushes over to the door crying and trying to get the door open. How could someone just leave him? Why do they get to go outside while he has to stay in here? From anywhere in the house when he hears that front door open, he tries to make a beeline for it.

Lucas does not like it when other children cry. It usually makes him cry too. I don't think he cries to compete with them for attention or anything, I think that it genuinely upsets him to see that someone else is upset. He is very empathetic and sensitive, much like our little girl...

Elise does not like to be told something she does not want to hear (like "no") and she REALLY does not like to be yelled at or spoken to in a stern voice. It actually makes her hysterical. And when I say stern voice, that really just means not a happy, cheerful sounding voice. She cries and cries and says through tragic, hysterical tears: "You said something to me!" , "You're mad at me!" or "You're being mean at me." We have explained a million times that someone telling you not to do something does not mean that they are mad or being mean, but she does not seem to understand this concept at all. We are working on it and hopefully it is something she will outgrow. It took me a while to grow thicker skin too.

Elise also does not like to feel unsafe. This is sort of a given - I mean who would actually want to feel unsafe - but she inherited the Worry gene from me apparently and really takes things to heart. An example of this: one night I locked the front door before we were heading stairs to go bed and she looked panic-stricken and said "Is someone going to try to come in our house?!" Where does a child even get that? (I promise that it is not from me - my Worry does not come in this form). She is also obsessed about things that "keep us safe" like everyone wearing seat belts (which she adorably calls belt-seats) and life guards at the pool (though when there is not a lifeguard she doesn't seem to mind - it's just when there IS a lifeguard she seems to worry why there would need to be one). It is a little troublesome that her little mind ever worries about grand concepts like car accidents, people coming into our house and drowning in the pool but I think it is just who she is and who she is going to be.

Getting a kick out of feeding his big sister Cheerios
The funny thing is that she doesn't actually worry about her own personal safety, especially when playing - she is barely even cautious about anything. She will jump from the highest of heights, go down the biggest, longest monster slides head first, swing really high on the swings, climb on, over or around anything...and she has a constant smattering of bruises all over her legs to prove it!

Since dislikes can sound kind of negative, I'll end with a new like that Lucas picked up just this week. A few days ago he saw me sneeze and thought it was absolutely hilarious. Ever since then, he has been fake sneezing and completely cracking himself up. When he started doing it, he was just doing the head motion and not making any noise so it took me a little while to figure out what he was doing. After a while he started adding an "achew" sound effect which makes him laugh at himself even harder. And I think I have to agree with him: fake sneezes are hilarious - at least when he does them!