That's MY Baby!

Now that the weather is warming up, I no longer have to torture Jack by forcing him to remain strapped into his stroller, all swaddled up in a fleece-lined sack, hat down over ears (and usually eyes too because he's so wiggly) socks pulled on up to his elbows under his jacket (to keep them on because gloves are WAY to easy to continually pull off), struggling wildly to escape.

He has absolutely NO patience for riding or sitting in a stroller. My other boys jump at the chance to sit in it or be pushed around in it and always have, but Jack has other things on his mind.

In the mornings, as we wait around outside the school for the doors to open, Jack does his thing. I set his feet on the ground and he is off running! Usually, there is a dog or two there, which is a blessing for me because it at least keeps him in one spot, even if it is on top of or underneath a dog. That is better than running away into the street or over to the playground for an early morning play session. Every parent knows him by name and he has to "talk" to each of them and show off his shoes or whatever he might have in his hands.

He makes the rounds, searching kids and adults alike for anything that might have liquid in it. Next to dogs, shoes, and my recycling bins, water bottles are his most favorite thing!

The preschool kids love him too. I see him sort of as their mascot. Most kids come with their own younger sibling in tow, but I have never seen any of them pay an ounce of attention to them. They follow Jack around, trying to pick him up (although he weighs as much as some of them, I'm sure), pinching his cheeks, making silly faces, running to and fro with him, pointing out dogs to him, and generally crowding him until he falls over.

How does Mitchell respond to this? Sometimes he ignores it. Sometimes he participates. Sometimes he gets jealous and tells them all, "Hey, this is MY baby!" He is such a grump in the morning though that I allow Jack to be Mr. Social to show Mitchell how much fun he can have if he will just get out of the stroller and begin his day already.

When the doors finally open, Jack is one of the first to run inside (if I am busy chatting and he can sneak past the teacher, that is.) Once, I found him neatly lined up inside with the kids, ready to walk to the classroom with them. The kids thought they were going to smuggle him in.

I love his little personality and how friendly and unafraid he is. My goal is to keep him safe, yet attempt to leave his fearless friendliness in tact as he gets older.