I have three kids (yes, 1,2,3) and our home is filled with laughter, tears and a constant stream of emotion (thanks girls) and chaos (oh, little boys)
It feels like we are spending every moment of the day adjusting and adapting to the needs & personalities of the three little people in our life. And as they age, we get glimpses of their personalities developing, their strengths (and weaknesses) their passions.
My eldest, at the beginning of her 10th year, oozing confidence, but standing on the knifes edge constantly because of her sensitivity. I see her courage as she explores the things she love, and her fearlessness and she tries new things. How she tries, and tries and tries, until she succeeds
I also see how much of the weight of our family she carries. How she too, spends much of her days adapting to younger siblings. This is not her responsibility, but more her nature, or done out of habit from having these two little’s invade her life at just 2yrs old.
And our middle…. The one who probably should have been an only child. Filled with a deep rooted sense of loyalty and an explosive personality. The one who is a born princess and feels most comfortable when the people around her cherish and dote on her.
And then, bringing up the rear, the baby… who isn’t such a baby anymore. The one you can reason with (even though as number three we often forget to) the one that is a better kid than we are parents. The one who proves that often gender preference is nature, not nurture.
And through our crazy, filled to the brim, days, we get moments where each of our little people are the center of attention, whose needs are screamed at us (not whispered), who get put first, above all else.
And then the balance and shift changes again, over and over throughout the days. An organic, living, breathing family.
But, in between those brief moments, we get glimpses of the individuals in our home, not just the big picture of “our kids”. We see them as they will be, and realize that we all contribute to the success of our days. That each person’s unique personality makes us what we are.
A family.