Becoming More Boy

I remember reading in Dr. Dobson's Bringing Up Boys several years ago that boys tend to attach to their mothers for awhile...until the ages of 3-5. Then they start identifying with their fathers more.

Isaiah was definitely a mama's boy from the moment of birth. He was a cuddlebug, but always wanted to cuddle with me. In fact, every activity was done with Mom. But this was okay, because Sydney is a daddy's girl. So...as long as we each have one kid who wants to attach themselves to us, right?

It wasn't like Isaiah wasn't interested in boy things. I remember noting all the boy/girl differences up until his first birthday, and being fascinated by the different experiences of raising a daughter and son only 20 months apart in age. He loved cars, and knew what to do with them, from around 9 months. I don't think Sydney knew what to do with cars until Isaiah showed her. And that's just one example - the list could go on for awhile.

However, I started to note in January, a few months after Isaiah's 3rd birthday, that he was being more boyish. I don't know how else to describe it but that. The first thing that clued me in was that he started to make sounds to correspond to everything - not just the vehicles he was maneuvering, but running, jumping, eating, etc. He also starting using the word "action" tacked onto things, obviously taken from Ryan's vocabulary (as in, "I want to play some Super Mario action"). But it was interesting because Sydney never really picked up on using that particular word, though she has hear Ryan say it just as often.

I think one of the best things that happened was that Sydney and I took a girls only trip to Chicago in March to visit Uncle Jeremy and Aunt Janelle. We wondered how Isaiah would handle 5 full days without me and Sydney, since he's always had one of us around. But I think it turned out to be a really good bonding experience for him and Ryan. Since that trip, I have noticed that Isaiah is eager to do any "boy"-type thing with Ryan - visit the "boy" store (Home Depot), ride in trucks, point out race cars.

Whenever Sydney complains that Isaiah is playing too rough, he says, "boys can play rough" (something I've told him myself several times). Perhaps that is God's intention in sending us another little boy - to give Isaiah a suitable playmate? I am sure that Isaiah will teach him all the things that little boys need to know.

One of Isaiah's more recent discovery is that he can take off his shirt, which he usually does outside. But I can only attribute that one to Cousin Brody, since Ryan doesn't take his shirt off outside. And if Isaiah doesn't get a little more meat on his bones (you can see his ribs), perhaps he will think twice about doing it in the future. But, for now...onward with boyhood.