Chaos at the Comeaux's: Day 18.....He has found his buddy

Since Judge was born, Annabelle and Judge have been pretty much each others best friend. They were only 18 months a part so they liked to play with the same things since Judge was able to walk. They do fight and scream at each other from time to time, but they are always there for one another. And hey what siblings don't? They play together all the time because they are still into mostly the same things. Like Dinosaurs, soccer, and a lot of the same TV shows.

When Johnny came Annabelle and Judge could not get enough of him. I have a TON of precious pictures of them holding and loving on him. BUT........Once Johnny learned to walk the novelty of having a little brother wore off REAL QUICK! Like any 1-2 year old, destruction is Johnny's middle name!

He breaks into Annabelle's room and plays with her littlest pet shop. According to Annabelle he "DESTROYS IT!!!!" by moving the pieces around and "kidnapping her favorite ones and hiding them forever". If Judge is building a tower it is usually only a matter of seconds once Johnny notices it before it is in pieces. So needless to say they would like it if I caged him all day long (put him in his playpen).

Don't get me wrong it isn't like we let him do whatever he wants. We are trying to teach him what to do and what not to do. But like with any 2 year old it just takes time. And I mean what is more fun at 2 than knocking over a tower you didn't have to build. He is still learning. He will get it just like Judge got it, and Annabelle got it, and one day Liam will have to get it.

Because of his sometimes destructive behavior the older kids really don't like to play with him all that much. So a lot of the time he plays alone or with momma. I do make the other kids let him join in from time to time. Especially if mom is able to keep a pretty good eye on things.

I have also instituted a new rule in our house "If you don't want to share the toy you are playing you have to take it into your room and you can only play with it in there." This really helps because my kids are a lot like me, they hate to be alone when they could be playing with someone else. So usually they take it to their room and are back with it within 10 minutes offering to share it!. I also LOVE this rule because I don't have to hear the whining about the toy being taken away and it teaches them it is more fun to share then play alone!

So with Johnny's behavior like it is I have been noticing more and more that there is (for lack of a better word) a clique in our house. Annabelle and Judge. Well today all 3 boys were playing downstairs and I saw it. The same thing I saw when Annabelle and Judge clicked. The same closeness. The same look. Between Johnny and Liam. Johnny has been clinging to Liam a lot lately, but the way he was with him today was just different. He really wanted to protect him and would have rather been with Liam than me and that never happens!

Johny didn't see me looking at first and he was on the floor kissing Liam and talking to him. It was so sweet it almost made me cry! He played with him for almost an hour talking and bringing him balls and other different kinds of toys. Even after Judge lost interest in Liam and came back to the table to do arts and crafts. Johnny stayed. I couldn't believe it!

I thought I must have been dreaming or it was just a fluke, but then tonight while I was making dinner Annabelle got a jar of baby food out the pantry and wanted to feed Liam. I put Liam in his bouncer and sat him in the kitchen so I could watch while I finished dinner. Annabelle feed him half the jar then got sick of feeding him and left to go color with Judge and John Paul. Liam got upset and I was trying to get dinner done so I went to get him a bottle until I could finish dinner and feed him. When I can back with his bottle Liam had hushed. I looked down and Johnny was feeding him. Yes he was getting it everywhere, but that didn't matter. It was so sweet he had stopped coloring and came into the kitchen to calm his little brother down.

Now I have never let him feed Liam before and Liam is the first kid I have ever even let Annabelle feed, so I have no clue how he knew what to do. Normally there would have been a major time out for Johnny but I just couldn't. I sit him down and tell him that it was really nice that he wanted t help take care of Liam, and that he wanted to help momma by feeding him but next time before he feed Liam he needed to come and get momma. I think/hope he understood.

It is one of the most beautiful amazing things watching your kids take care of one another. Words could never describe how proud it made me as a parent!

I can see Liam turning into Johnny's partner in crime!
Johnny and Liam BFF...... :)

ANNABELLE

It only took us 4 pairs of pants and 3 shirts!!!

Finally got her to wear blue jeans!

I love taking pictures of her.
I was talking to Dennis the other night and the subject of more kids came up. He said he wanted another girl and I agreed. But as I thought about it I am not sure how I would handle another girl instead of 2 hours to get out of the house it be 4!!!

JUDGE