Simon! Oh Simon! He brings so much joy and life into our house. He wants nothing more than to be just like his big brother (and occasionally he needs a hug from Mommy). Just hearing his laugh can make me smile no matter what mood I’m in.
But oh this child! He sure has a mind of his own. This is something I am very thankful for. Honestly. But it also makes life difficult. I am trying to learn to embrace it.
Take this morning for instance. We wake up. Happily go see big brother after he wakes up, have our normal morning routine, etc. When it was time to get Simon dressed, I changed his diaper, and pulled out a really cute outfit. I tried to get the shorts on, and he adamantly refused. I tried every trick of the trade I know and have heard from other mothers. No can do. So I opened his shorts drawer to look for others, and he happily pulled out the ones he wanted. He proceeded to do the same for his shirt. And his socks.
Really?
Simon is 15 months old. 15 months! And he already has opinions on his outfit choice? Elias still do this day rarely has outfit preferences. I had nothing to relate to when my mom friends related their tales of woe about sons who only wanted certain shirts. Elias definitely has favorite shirts, but he is pretty amenable to any outfit as long as I give him a little choice in there.
Here is Simon’s outfit of the day:
It’s not just outfits. Simon has a mind of his own all day. And he is very quick to let you know if you get in the way of his plans! But he is just so full of life.
Even his hair has a mind of its own! When we moved in to this house five months ago, he didn’t have enough hair for anything. But now, he’s got a headfull of curls. I absolutely love it!
Simon is very independent as well. Earlier today as I made lunch for the boys, Simon spotted something he wanted on top of the toy shelf. He tried from many different angles to reach it, but alas, he could not. So he pulled out his bin of cars, climbed in for the added height, and proceeded to try again.
What else did he manage to do today? He reached into a child-locked cupboard (the kind with the push down latch…it opens like an inch or something…I guess he has skinny arms) and somehow got out a can of bubbles, opened the screw top, and poured it all over the bathroom floor.
One of the cutest things I caught him doing, though, was when I had just finished cleaning up lunch. It was rather quiet, so I peeked around the corner into the other room. This is what I saw:
He just stayed like this for quite a while. When I asked him what he was doing, he looked up and laughed. I ran for the camera and asked him to do it again. He happily complied. Who knows what he was thinking!
Simon’s independence and curiosity will serve him well when he is older…. just keep reminding yourself of this on the days those two traits challenge your sanity….