The Light Bug (week 317)

Life with a 3-year-old little brother is a roller coaster ride.  There are moments when he is sleeping in his car seat that I say to mommy, "how did you make Christopher so cute?"  There are times when we are wrestling or playing Wipeout on the couch, and we laugh until we cry.  But there is also the Light Bug--the Christmas present that Christopher got from Cousin Eli and Cousin Sophie--that brings nothing but heart ache and tears.  Every night before bed, we fight over the color of the stars that will project on the ceiling and walls (I want blue and Chris wants green every nights), and there is no chance of compromise.

Right now, Christopher is just two months over 3 years old and I am just a month away from turning 6.  For the most part, we both have things that we like to do alone--trains, painting, basketball--and we get along for the most part really well.  But we have also entered a phase where we are becoming very interested in what the other guy is doing, and cannot help ourselves but to take a turn or to get involved.  In particular, games on the Leap Pad or the iPhone and Kindle are some of the most contentious.  

With Christopher starting baseball classes this week and taking batting practice at the park and in the backyard, it is clear that the overlap of interests is only going to grow.  While mommy and daddy are trying to teach us more about sharing and working together, neither of us is at the point where we can facilitate such an arrangement.  It looks like we are either going to need two of everything from this point forward, or we are entering a period learning and conflict.