Milo

This morning I woke up to the sound of Milo's door opening. I stumbled into the hallway and encountered Milo in the bathroom. He said, "I already made my bed and turned off my noise machine Mommy. Now I'm going to get dressed." He said this with a cute little smile on his face. I replied, "Wow, thank you! You're such a big boy!" and Milo grinned and wiggled with happiness.

Milo just loves to please. He gets this from Jake. Potty training Milo was a piece of cake because he lived for the simple reward of praise. He'd go on the potty, we'd jump up and down and clap and he would just be so, so thrilled at our pleasure. Boom; task completed.

Milo is just an easy kid in this manner. If you tell him to do something, he does it. If there's a rule, he follows it. A year ago we instituted certain basic chores like making beds, and by golly, that kid makes his bed every single morning before he even leaves his room. Milo is a normal kid like any other, which means that sometimes he acts out (especially when it comes to doing things like hitting his sister), and sometimes he freaks out over tiny things (getting frustrated when he can't get something to work just so). But these events are predictable and easily overcome. Milo can be distracted out of whatever's bothering him. He's just a straightforward, easygoing kid.

Milo is also cheerful as all heck. He smiles, he's open, he's a bouncy, happy little kid. I don't worry a lot about Milo, because I have this sense that life is going to be pretty good for him due to his easygoing, happy-go-lucky temperament.

That's not to say Milo isn't sensitive. He wears his heart on his sleeve. Currently, he's going through a phase of extra-strong attachment to Jake, so he feels very sad whenever Jake leaves. Yesterday morning Jake was around during breakfast, which was a break in the routine because usually Jake has left for work before the kids wake up. Yesterday Jake left later to go to the eye doctor, and as his car pulled away Milo started crying. He wants every day to be a stay-home-with-dad day. But, on the up side, Milo is easily distractible. I suggested we use the time to wrap some presents for Daddy's birthday, and that was enough to cheer him up.

Milo is a big boy now, all long legs and arms flying in every direction. Sometimes I miss the roly poly big tummy toddler Milo, the Milo who would still consent to cuddle with me and snuggle on my lap. Now I have to make due with a brief hug in the morning when we say goodbye in the classroom, and carrying him up the stairs each night. Nora still wants as much contact with me as she always did. She wants to be in my lap, she wants to hold my hand, touch my arm, sit close. Milo, though, is no Mommy's boy. He'd rather wrestle with Dad, thank you very much, and I have to content myself with kissing him on the forehead every night when we say goodnight.