3 in One: Helper, Stinker, and Booger

First of all, there are about a hundred things that I could be doing right now. Finishing getting dressed and ready for the day, emptying the dishwasher and reloading it, folding laundry, cleaning the garage, vacuuming, wrapping Christmas presents, the list goes on. But I had to stop and sit down for a moment to write about my Sweet Collin.

He’s been such a helper lately. He has also been a cranky stink pot, and a cute little booger too. So I just had to post about him again.

Let’s start with Stinker. This kid definitely has his moments and can be described as a cranky stink pot during those time. And that’s putting it nicely and mildly. But he’s my cranky stink pot and I love him just the same. I may not like him very much during those moments, but we all have issues from time to time. There really isn’t a whole lot to write about in this category. There isn’t one or two specific instances that stick out that I just have to share. But in general, if I leave a room and he doesn’t want me to, he will run in front up me and turn around with much authority, put his hands up and say “STOP MAMA! STOP!” Other than that, for the most part, he’s been really good lately. The occasional bipolar moments (like yesterday, but I’m blaming the rain), but overall a good kid.

Booger. I call him Booger on a pretty regular basis. It’s funny, my mom has a cat who we affectionately nicknamed “Booger” years ago and Collin knows that. So if he’s in a moment and I call him Booger he says “no Booger, I’m Collin!” or “Gigi’s house!” and then assumed we are going to Gigi’s house to see Booger. He does some of the silliest things that just crack me up. Sneaky too. Recently in the morning he asked for cookies. I, obviously, told him no and I would make him a bagel when I was done feeding Justin and Lana. So, because he knows I’m not able to get up when I’m nursing them, he went to the pantry and took out the box of vanilla wafers and brought them too me. I, again, told him no, I would make him a bagel after I was done nursing Justin and Lana. He got a sad look on his face and hung his head as he took the box and walked back to the kitchen. But then turned into the dining room instead of to the pantry. Then he got quiet. I thought he must be trying to get into the box, so I listened for the bag to rustle. It did, so I called him. He comes running in. When I asked what he was doing, he ran away then ran back in with the box and said, “help Mommy, cookies!” Although I was a little annoyed that he was taking advantage of my sitting on the couch with the babies, I couldn’t help but think he was too cute in doing so.

Helper. He is turning into such a big helper for me. He’s starting to look out for Justin and Lana a little more every day. When they were really little he would try to put the pacifier in their mouth if they were crying and I was out of the room. He managed to get Justin back to sleep in the swing one day. He pushed the swing, gave him a pacifier, and turned on the music. I watched in awe as he did that. Lana threw up in the car one day. Because Collin faces forward and she is backwards he saw all of it happen. As I was checking my mirrors I saw him leaning forward to check on her and say “goodness.” When I asked if she threw up, he puts more emphasis behind it and says “GOODNESS!” haha She had thrown up a lot. He likes to help when they are in the bath and to give them a bottle if he can. He’s recently started to ask to hold them. I was coming downstairs with Justin one afternoon when he met us at the bottom of the stairs and asked to carry him. So I “let him carry Justin” over to the couch. He “laid Justin down” said “oh heavy” then kissed his forehead. Moments like that I just stand back and smile. Yesterday was one of my favorites. I had just fed and changed Justin and Lana and laid them on their tummies and walked into the kitchen to make Collin a smoothie. They, of course, started to fuss because they were unhappy. When I looked over the counter I saw that Collin had sat down between them and was rubbing their backs, looking at them, and saying “no cry JustinLana” (When he talks about them together they become one “JustinLana” it’s cute.)

It’s still true today that I love this kid more and more everyday. He’s getting so big and becoming such a little man. He’s polite, lovey, spoiled rotten, and I wouldn’t change anything about him.