Monday, February 4, 2008

The Little Emperor

I think J is starting to exhibit some Only Child behaviors. We're not quite ready for #2 yet, but I found myself watching him this weekend thinking, "He really needs someone to compete with." As a twin I never had the experience of being an only child, and TH is the youngest in his family, so we always had someone around to remind us that we weren't the only kids on earth.

Over the weekend we got to witness a little Emperor in the making. His new thing (which I think he learned at--you guessed it-- daycare) is to try to push us out of his way, shouting "MOVE, Mommy!!" Yesterday morning we ended up in a little standoff at the entrance to the kitchen when I told him no, we don't say "move," we say, "excuse me." The standoff lasted for a few minutes until he mustered up a begrudging "coose me" so he could get past me into the kitchen, only to climb up into his throne (I mean chair), point at the pantry, and bark out, "Cereal, Mommy!" And actually folded up his little hands on the table waiting expectantly. When I didn't move as quickly as he wanted he commanded me again: "CEREAL! Thank you." (He thinks saying "Thank you" guarantees he will get whatever he's asking for.)

Later on when I was trying to get ready for a little Super Bowl party we were going to, he came into our bathroom and made an immediate beeline for this bottle of lotion he has an unhealthy obsession with. Due to the grease stains on our comforter from the last lotion expedition, I moved it out of his reach. So he tried to push past me to get to it. "MOVE!!" he demanded. I said, "We don't say move, remember? What do we say?" And he actually replied, "RIGHT NOW!" and proceeded to push me again. So I showed him the back of my hand like Ralph from the Honeymooners, "Why, I oughta....". Just kidding. (Okay...let's be real. I'm only kinda kidding. He was this close--this close--to getting a karate chop to the back of his neck for pushing me like that.)

Oh, well. I just tell myself that he's learning to assert his independence.


3 comments:

Rita said...

That is hilarious! I think my biggest fear for Xaelen starting preschool/daycare in April is that he's going to pick up nasty habits and bad manners from other kids. Oh. And the germs. I'm also freaked out about him coming home sick all the time..

On a side note, I didn't know you were a twin! That's so cool!

deebo47 said...

I think all kids this age think that everyone around them is their personal servant, put on Earth to serve them and make them happy. I remember when Xavier was this age, how demanding he was too. They can't even imagine that there's a bigger universe out there and they're not in the center of it. And then Camryn came along and rocked his world. Maybe if (when?) J has a sibling it'll shake him up a little too:)

Anonymous said...

Wax on, wax off.