Night & Day

It amazes me how totally different two kids born from the same womb can be. My boys are like night and day and I'm still trying to get used to it. They even look totally different. I have been so used to Evan with all of his little quirks, so when Ian does something "out of the norm" I am befuddled! I will admit that Evan is for all intents and purposes, an easy child. I of course did not realize how easy he was until Ian came along.

For instance, Evan wakes up smiling and in a good mood. I am always greeted with a "good morning Mommy" He is also a very curious kid that enjoys learning. Reading is one of his favorite pastimes and he questions everything and is excited when he learns something new. Evan also has an awesome memory. My friend Greta says its because kids don't have a lot of information stored in their brain for them to recall, but he truly remembers random bits of info and regurgitates it at the appropriate times. He learns all of his Christmas & Easter speeches quickly, we even had to request longer speeches for a bit of a challenge. He remembers random parts of songs on the radio and belts them out of nowhere. I've got millions of examples but you get my point. Evan is also very affectionate. He loves to snuggle, loves to touch and be close to you. He's never met a stranger, he enjoys meeting new people. He also has an amazing eye for detail. One morning as I was getting ready for church he said "Mommy, your shoes match your belt and your purse" I mean really....what four year old notices that or let alone cares. When I wear a new outfit he'll say "Mommy you look stylish!" He is also very emotional. When his girlfriend, Kenedi, didn't want to sit by him in church one day, he just about lost it. Cried me a river! He can be redirected when he's being disobedient. He hates to be dirty, if he doesn't shake all of the dew off of his Lily after using the restroom, and his underwear gets a little wet, he has to get clean underwear. He's a bit of a neat freak. He puts away his toys in an organized fashion, makes his bed and lines his shoes up in a row. AMAZING! Now if he'll just teach his dad all those traits......just joking honey! Kind of! He goes with the flow and generally doesn't complain a lot. All that to say that he's been an easy child to raise so far.

Ian on the other hand........what can you say. He wakes up in a grumpy mood and cries until he gets breakfast first thing. Reading books, assembling puzzles, or anything that has to do with concentration is not his strong suit. His memory is still developing as well. We have been stuck on learning eyes, nose, mouth, head for the past six months and he still gets it confused! Affection makes him run.....literally. He doesn't snuggle while watching TV or relax when he's in your arms. I try to kiss him good bye when I leave for work and he turns his head. When people ooh and ahh over him, he turns and walks away. It's kind of funny and sad at the same time. I'm so used to Evan being so lovey dovey that I take it personally when he rejects my affections. I'M MOMMY for pete's sake! He is so strong willed! If I tell him to stop throwing his food on the floor, he will look me straight in the eye and pick up the chicken nugget and drop it to the floor in slow motion and fold his arms as if to say......Now what? He just does what he wants to do. If he wants food....you better get it for him. If he doesn't want to sit down in church....you'd better take him outside or the whole congregation will know he's upset. It's a constant struggle to tame his will. He has no desire to be clean and organized. He smears his syrup all over his face and clothes, he throws his toys all over the floor. Stomps in mud puddles, etc, etc, etc.

Of course all of Evan's traits are cool right now, but can you imagine a teenager who still snuggles with his parents, cries when his friends don't want to play with him, compliments everyone on their sense of fashion, reads books all day and has a wealth of meaningless trivia that he shares with everyone.

On the other hand, can you imagine a teenager who is okay not being a part of the crowd, stands up for himself. Goes for what he wants and doesn't stop until he gets it. Handles his emotions well, etc.

What I'm trying to say is that I know that God makes us all different for a reason. Maybe my boys will learn from each other. I'll take the bitter with the sweet. Nobody is perfect. We are however called to surrender to God so that He can begin a work of perfecting us into His image. I know that this will never be achieved on this side of eternity....but we have to be open to the challenge. I'm still learning how to be the mother that God has called for me to be, but I love my boys with all of my heart and soul, and my love for them combined with my love for God and willingness to be led by Him, will go a long way to ensure that my boys have everything in life to succeed!