3's a Crowd

I'm pretty sure that's what Tanner is feeling right now.

I mean, here he is, working so hard to get out of diapers and into big boy underwear ... always staying in his bed and sleeping through the night ... trying extra hard to share his toys (reluctantly) with Brady ...

And then Mommy goes and brings another kid into the mix.

Poor Tannerbug.

No wonder he is so mad at me right now.

He just told me, "I don't want to snuggie with you under the Snuggie. You're mean.  I want Daddy."

It makes me so sad that he feels this way.

But today has been super tough.  I'm helping out a girlfriend who is in a bind this week with childcare.  Her son, Jake (turned 2 in October), is staying with us for 3 days this week.  Not that much extra work -- except for the boy child who came from my womb!!

I swear, I don't remember having to teach Kendall how to share.  Of course, I guess it was a little different when she HAD TO share because the intruder was her little brother.  And she had 18-24 months to get used to him before she really had to share her stuff.

But, in Tanner's defense, I can understand why this is so impossible hard for him to do.

Here are these two boys, who he sees as babies, coming in and wanting to play with his stuff.  His big boy stuff.

And it seems that no matter what Tanner tries to play with, the other boys want it.  (If their defense, as well, he does the same thing to them.  Any time Jake goes for a toy, Tanner gets upset and tries to tell Jake he can't play with it.)  And this is so hard!

I decided after yesterday (which went really well, actually) that Tanner could pick the toys he didn't want anyone to play with, and we would put them in his closet until everyone went home.  But I explained that, if no one else could play with them, then neither could he.  He was fine with it.  So we put a few things up.

And I was excited this morning when Tanner said, "Mommy, I'm going to share my new spider with Jakie."

Unfortunately, Jake didn't want the new spider.  But Tanner was adamant about Jake playing with that spider -- and nothing else -- because that's what he chose for Jake.

Anyway, long story short, it's been a rough morning.

The 3 boys separately are angels.

Brady is small and squishy.  He usually goes along with whatever I want or need him to do.  Rarely is he mean or angry.  If he does do something that warrants a time out, he sits in his place quietly until his time is up.

Jake is also equally well-mannered.  He is always happy -- I've yet to see him frown, cry, or pitch a fit.  He's two and half, so that means he is busy -- curious.  And this is a new place for him, so every once in a while I'll look up and realize he's wandered out of the playroom and into the other bedroom, and he'll come walking out with the scooper for the cat box or something like that.  But he always puts it right back when I ask him to.  With a smile.

Tanner is fun to talk to, and he likes to tell stories now.  He plays quietly and contently with his trucks and trains, building cities and roads with bricks and mortar (yes, he used the word "mortar" this morning).  Every once in a while he sneaks up to give me a squeeze or a kiss, just so I know he still loves me.

So it seems this should be easy right?  These three sweethearts together should be no problem.

And they would be -- if I wasn't trying to stomp out the Mommy-guilt.

So one more day with 3 boys.  Perhaps a preview for next year when I am still unemployed by the school system?