Today I squished Tennyson into a little ball and then curled myself on top and around him. I told him I was a duck. That little egg laughed so hard. I told him that little eggs were supposed to be quiet and not try to tickle their way out from under their ducks.

More laughter. He has the best laugh. I love hearing them laugh - laugh for real, not goofy, made-up laughs, not even their big funny I'm being tickled laugh.

Sometimes I hear Jordan laugh from the depths of my house, it's rooms, it's basement. I hear her laugh from the bottom of her belly, big little girl chuckles, when you know she's smiling so big her cheeks hurt. Usually I wait a few minutes before going to check on them, because I love the sound of that unabashed laughter. I know that laugh is usually the result of them being exceedingly naughty, so I do have to check, and then they usually end up in time out, but my day is still a little brighter for having heard that laugh.

Tennyson has been having funny angry/sad/ragey/moody episodes lately. I don't know if it's the age, or the middle child thing or the new baby adjustment period, but he's been bouncing from one end of the emotional spectrum to the other, usually coming to rest at the grumpy side when he doesn't get exactly his way.

I love making him laugh and play, and mostly I love when he grins that joyful grin and gives me that mischievous happy look that says that we're sharing a goofy little moment, an inside joke, and I'm still his favorite person in the world.

I love the it's just me and you mommy look. I can't even explain it. The other day he and Jordan were in the back of the van and she was downright annoyed at him for something silly he was doing. She had humphed at him and was glaring out her window, still lipping off when she came up with something new to say. I looked to the back of the van, about to tell him to leave her alone. He made eye contact with me, and gave me his devilish little smile because he knew that he was doing it on purpose, and he wasn't actually doing anything mean, and that the whole thing was kind of funny.

I swear his evil little grin is his way of saying "Check out Jordan getting all flustered and annoyed. Look at her glaring out the window. Betcha I can make that vein in her forehead pulse just a little brighter - mwahahaha"

And the little charmer has this way of grinning at me in secret, as if to let me in on the joke, knowing that if mommy's in on it, then he's golden.

Stinker.

The kid's going to be a real little heart-breaker someday.

Today when I was tickling him on the floor and playing with him when all the other kids were doing something else and he wanted to tell me something, instead of screeching at me to stop tickling, he put his two little warm hands on my cheeks and turned my face to his until we were nose to nose and he whispered his little secret.

There's something about their little hands on my face.

I wonder if he knows that he's such a little charmer?

I think on some level. Because if he was 100% sure, then he wouldn't have to have tantrums, and whine and drive me nuts half of the time these days.

Because when he's not terrible-three-ing he is such a sweet kid. He's got a great big heart in there.

I suppose if he didn't go through all the little ages and stages he wouldn't be normal. Normal like his mom.

Comments

Naomi said…
It's the 3 year old/new baby phase, got it going on here as well! I find the more time I spend with Ashton, alone, which hardly ever happens, the less obnoxious he is.

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