One of the things I was probably least prepared for about stay-at-home parenthood, especially with three toddlers, is how completely I am expected to be within reach. Even the dog, when he's inside, follows my every move. Perhaps we have made our children this way, but part of me is pretty sure that their personalities would have demanded most of it anyway.
Connor needs both constant attention and constant conversation. He absolutely does not stop talking, if nothing else, he simply repeats his first statement over and over until he gets a response from you. No amount of teaching (or attempting to teach) that it's not nice to do this, that you should not repeat things or harass innocent people (like our neighbors, whom he will absolutely shout "Hel-lo!" to about seven times before we're out of earshot), has made the slightest dent in his relentless verbal assaults. And I really and truly mean that he does not stop talking. Ask anyone, anyone who's ever spent a few hours or an afternoon with him. It really and truly only stops for one thing - sleep. He talks while playing, even by himself. He talks in between bites at meal time. He talks while using the potty. He talks on stroller walks, the whole time. He even talks while swimming (even when he's supposed to be keeping his mouth closed to prevent water going in his mouth).
Xander is a little less needy, but he's a follower. If one or both of his brothers are following Mommy, he tends to join in. You know, just in case there might be something good in it - like juice or treats or candy! And other times, especially when he's tired at the end of the day, he just clings. It's as though he cannot get close enough. He's the one I'm most likely to trip over, because he's literally right at my feet and I sometimes don't even hear him when he comes up.
And then there is Sawyer. He has long been my clutcher, the biggest of my Mommy's boys. He absolutely cannot stand to be separated from Mommy. He follows my every move, has taken to dragging me around by the hand frequently to get his wants and needs met, and even drags me down to the floor to keep me close by while he's playing. And it's unbearably cute most of the time, but there are moments when it can be maddening. Like when I'm trying to cook dinner, or do some random housework, or talk on the phone for a minute, or even go to the bathroom.
Or how about trying to eat dinner? Last night Sawyer couldn't stand to be left out, even though he'd just eaten about 20 minutes ago. So he first climbed into my lap, where I had to sit him back down again. He thought about it for a few seconds, then climbed on behind me. And at this point in the day, I'm just too tired to care. And, how cute is he, clutching on and giving me really hard hugs from behind? My independent little guy, finally starting to show some affection again. Mommy can't help but laugh, even if she does feel a little bit stalked at the same time. You can't see him in the photo below (just a little bit in the one above), but Buster has also claimed his spot at dinner time, curled up next to the window and Mommy's feet.
It's something, to be so loved. And depending on what time of day it is, it's either really, really cute, or really, really annoying!
