I know you guys all think we are raising 4 boys. You are all wrong.
We are raising 3 boys and a Bucky!
It is clear that 1) God knows what he's doing when matching up kids and parents and 2) he's got a good sense of humor because Beckett is not for the weak of heart. Our 4th boy is a handful... and a half! I'm sure God saw Bob and I with all our boy-raising confidence and got a chuckle out of the fact that he was still able to teach us a thing or two! If Beck had been a first born, it's very possible he'd be an only child. But as fate has it, he's the very best youngest Bovy boy we could ever ask for!
The biggest "issue"* with Beck is that he doesn't recognize the fact that he's not even 2. He thinks he's 4 - or maybe 6. He does stuff that the big boys do without a second thought. He has a bad case of "I wanna be like you-oooo-oooh". Somehow he skipped from a sweet, laid back, calm, go-with-the-flow infant all the way to a crazy BOY. He has no concept of the idea of a timid toddler! He refuses to be baby'd. He's a BOY!
* - I call this an issue, but it's really not... I love the fact that he's confident and outgoing!
There have been several things happen recently that have made me stop as abruptly as a 2x4 to the forehead. Things he's done or said or even a look he's thrown my way that have made me realize that he's really not a baby any more.
- We have totally given up on highchairs in restaurants. It's not worth the fight to get him into one and he is quite adept at getting back out of it anyway. Similarly, when placed into a car seat he can somehow manage to get both arms out of the straps (no matter how tightly we strap him down) AND I can't remember the last time he made it through a car seat ride with both shoes on. The first thing he does is strip off a shoe or two AND the accompanying socks.
- Speaking of food, we had grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner the other day and Bucky ate his soup with a spoon and hardly spilled a drop. I was totally impressed! I happened to mention to Zane, who was also going to town on tomato soup (which I, frankly, find a little odd...) that if he was careful he could pick up his bowl and drink it. Zane didn't take me up on the suggestion, but as I turned my head I saw that Beck had his bowl between his chubby little palms and was about to take a "dink". I said "not you!" and he just laughed at me, maniacally, and continued drinking from his soup bowl as if he were 12 years old. Anyone who has heard his maniacal laugh knows just what I'm talking about! Until Beck I'd never heard a small child with an evil-villain worthy laugh!
- My nephew, Cooper, had a birthday party last weekend. This was a party for his friends and he is in Kindergarten so most of the kids there were 5ish or older. There were a couple of younger kids there, but not many. Bucky was in the middle of everything. He wanted to do everything the big kids were doing. And he got totally pissed when the organizers wouldn't let him have a turn on the rope swing! My favorite memory of the afternoon was watching him stand in line with 20+ other kids listening to the instructions the party coordinator was giving the group. At the end, as she was about to let the party into the next party room, she asked if they were excited. My youngest, literally jumped up and down with glee. So cute.
- It's not all fun and games when you have a toddler with 3 big brothers. I think it's safe to say that Beck is tougher with other kids than, say, a first born who has no need to "fight" for attention - or toys - or food. Throw in Beckett's need to protect himself from a couple of dogs and you have one rough and tumble kid who's definitely not afraid to stand up for himself. We picked him up from school the other day and had to sign 3 different incident reports. Seems sweet little Beck was in a biting mood and bit 3 kids that day. (I feel the need to point out that this is the first time he's bit someone AND the regular teachers weren't in the room that day to help manage all the toddler drama.) Reports were hurriedly signed and we hustled out of the school. Upon further inspection when we got home, it was hard to get too upset... he bit one kid for trying to take away a toy he was playing with first. The second got it for climbing on him. And #3 was dumb enough to try to take food away from him.
- The last time we visited one of our favorite restaurants (mostly because they are attached to a lovely little microbrewery) we got to sit outside. There are many reasons this is a little odd, not the least of which is that it was August in Hotlanta, but I refuse to dwell on the craptastic weather we have had this summer. Anyway... outside this little place they have a few tables. Along the tables there is a sidewalk with a raised, concrete, knee wall and beside the little wall is a railing. This wall is a favorite for smallish kids to walk on. It gives me heart failure... On this particular visit Bucky repeatedly pulled himself up onto this wall, grabbed hold of the railing and jumped. (For anyone unclear, he's not tall enough to reach the ground when hanging from the railing.) DARE DEVIL. He would get up, grab the railing, jump off and swing back and forth before dropping to the ground to start all over. He giggled the entire time. (I mentally reviewed our surrounding for items that could work in a first aid situation.) If you are at all the squeamish type, never take Beckett to a playground!
- And he's NOT shy. We have been taking Ozzie to a local dog park. It's really fun to let him off leash and watch him run! He can really fly! The last time we went it was a family affair - we even took Willow! Beckett decided that playing in the water fountain they have set up for the dogs was the best thing ever. He got to chat with all the other dog owners. He got to get soaking wet. And he got to spend time away from parental supervision (we could still see him... most of the time) while interacting with all the thirsty dogs. And there was mud! Lots and lots of mud! It may have been his best day ever.
So the name Bucky... I think I mentioned this a few weeks ago, but Beckett says his own name as "Bucky". As an aside, I LOVE listening to him talk right now. I love the way he mispronounces stuff - like he calls Spencer "Bocker". I really need to record him talking. I never did that with any of the other boys and I regret that! (By the way, he can say the T sound and the S sound in other words, so I am not worried about his speech and for now I'm just loving the way he talks!)
The name Bucky has kind of stuck. Zane calls him "my Bucky". My dad loves the name Bucky and is convinced that it's going to stick around like Bovy has stuck to Spencer. I have to admit that when reviewing different names and trying to imagine nicknames that might come out, we never thought Beck would end up getting called Bucky. I will also share that I have *specifically* ruled out using the name Buck or Buckeye several times for any dog names because of the obvious rhymes that could result. And yet, here we are with a CHILD who we willingly call Bucky - and Buck - and even Bucket. What can I say... it just fits him!
Our thoughts and prayers are with Bob's sister this week as she is going through a very rough time. Hang in there Karen! Much love coming your way from Georgia.
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