influence

Most of the time I think that I have a baby, a big kid and one in between. It is becoming increasingly clear that my little man has moved from "baby" to the next step. I am in the presence every day of two little parrots. Seneca is hilarious trying to repeat many many words (the latest is elbow, said while turning in circles and twisting her arm around trying to find it) and Beckham is equally funny trying to spit out the same sounds. He has surprised me this week asking for water (wa-wa), telling me he wants to "go" while heading for the door and debuting his food requests with a rough "cracker." I think I thought it would be a while before he actually started forming words beyond mama and dada, but he's right on his sister's tail. He wants to do what she does and is usually willing to put forth the extra effort to keep up.

I've had a little guilt in the bottom of me about the "third-child" syndrome. It was easy to give the first one individual attention seeing as he was the only one. I've made a concerted effort lately to make sure everybody gets time to read with mom, the opportunity to play and have field trips that they can participate in, but it's not the same. I'm grateful that my children can learn from each other, most of the time. There are behaviors that the oldest exhibits that I don't want internalized by the little ones, and reactions by senny that I don't want bex to pick up, but I'm grateful he can learn to play and talk and laugh from his siblings.

I know that kids pick things up quick, I really do and yet it never fails to surprise me how quickly some things are learned, or how much is remembered by their little brains. Beckham is so delicious these days, I can't get enough of him. The fact that he's trying so hard to participate in his world is that much more endearing.