Manipulation milestone

Abby asked me for M&Ms this evening. She'd already had plenty so I told her we were done with M&Ms for the night.

I hadn't realized that the bowl of M&Ms were on the counter, easily within reach for Abby.

I turned around and she had grabbed the bowl and was smugly walking toward the living room.

Recognizing my defeat, I told her that she could have one and then we were done.

She sits down on her chair, looks up at me and a big smile spreads across her face.

She says, "I looove you."

Her manipulation development is right on track ... in case anyone was concerned.

I want ...

Abby asked for an apple.

I got an apple out of the fridge and peeled it.

Then I cored it.

Then I sliced it.

I asked Abby if she wanted a Buzz bowl.

Yes, she said.

So I put all of the peeled, cored and sliced apples into the bowl and handed it to her ...

She says, "I want an orange."

A 'boy thing' or just an overprotective Mommy?

This is obviously my first rodeo as a mom, but it's even more so my first rodeo with a boy.

I did not have a brother and have never really been around baby boys until Jack.

Therefore, I have no idea if what I'm seeing with Jack is normal "boy behavior", just his temperament, or I'm a paranoid mother.

I'll let the readers decide.

Abby loves her brother. Loves him. It's so sweet that she actually will say (unprompted), "I love you, Jack!"

She also wants to hug him, kiss him and roughhouse with him.

The latter makes me nervous. He is 6 1/2 months old. She is 2 (and huge).

This evening she was playing with him and there were a few times she got rough with him. I would get stern with her and tell her to stop, fully expecting her force (she had put all her weight on him laying across his stomach; she had inadvertently kneed him in the stomach; she put him in a headlock in an attempt to hug) to make him cry.

But when I would separate them, he would be laughing gleefully, enjoying the playtime and interaction with his sissy.

I'm now wondering if I'm a wuss or if I'm just not accustomed to boys.

I asked Tom and he said, "It's just roughhousing."

Yes, but I didn't "roughhouse" as a girl growing up.

The other amazing thing is the bond between siblings. To be able to witness it as a parent is awesome.

As stated above, she will be physical with him and he loves it. The same thing happens the other way around. She will try to hug him and he will reach for her and grab her hair, keeping it in his clutch. This can't feel good.

But she laughs hysterically, so happy to be with her brother. This floors me considering the girl flips out over the smallest thing (she's two, after all).

I should mention that Abby also flips out when Jack tries to touch her sippy cup, so it's not like he has a free pass.

Our two-year old is masquerading as a kindergartner

I really didn't think I would have to deal with this stuff yet.

My daughter is barely two. She's been two for two months. That is all.

Yet I am already dealing with sibling irritation.

On Saturday I ran upstairs to grab something and heard Abby screaming from the living room.

I run downstairs to hear, "Mooooom! Jack's touching my socks!"

Really? A six-month old is touching your feet.

This leads to me battling practicality. My two-year old does not have any sense of reason. She doesn't care that Jack is an infant. She simply cares that her feet are being infringed upon. She wants her personal space.

Fine.

Jack pretty much reaches and grabs for anything and he is quite resourceful and innovating when it comes to getting from Point A to Point B. I envision Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible making his way through the lasers. Jack uses a multitude of moves to get to Abby's coloring desk, M&Ms, her Jessie doll, etc.

I thought I had at least a year before I would deal with the pesky little brother thing. Alas, it is already upon me.

Also upon me is my daughter's defiance.

We were sitting at the table eating and she took her fork and started hitting the table forcefully with the metal side.

I told her, "Abby, no!"

She looked at me coyly and then began tapping ever-so-lightly on the table with the fork.

I said, "Abby, I said no."

She responds (as she is still lightly tapping), "I'm not doing it."

Wow.

Just wow.