Yesterday, Xuanie showed he’s capable of defending himself against bigger boys (certain conditions apply, of course). One boy, who looked about 4 years of age, came up to him to snatch the fire-truck he was playing with. Xuanie screamed with a loud shrill at the boy, sending him running away to his mother. That boy cried for the next 10 min at least. Xuanie however was completely oblivious to what he had done.
There were exhibits of his gentler side too. He was super sweet to a younger baby, a 15-month, whom I found out, was also “Oscar” but spelled with a “k.” He grabbed a mini-toy excavator for him, and was very careful not to bump into him when he was pushing his trucks about. There was a bigger girl who slid down a declining rod and crashed into him. Instead of being upset, Xuanie got up quickly and patted the girl’s head, and checked her knees to make sure she was not badly hurt.
Oh, I should have this on record, for I believe this behavior will go away when he grows up: Xuanie likes to kiss me on wherever I get hurt. The other day, I dramatically demonstrated to him that pine needles hurt as we walked along a row of pine shrubs. He anxiously grabbed my hand and kissed it; it’s his way of soothing my “pain.” When I bumped my head against a tree branch as we were practising tree climbing on another occasion, he wanted me to bend down so he could pat me on the head and kissed me on the “wound.”
Babies can be so sweet. I know I will miss having him as a little toddler when he gets older, just as I now miss him as a little newborn. But, this reminds me that I must cherish him every moment.
P.S. – I’m having second thoughts about sending him to daycare as early as next week. That daycare with vacancy is not the greatest place in the area. Maybe I’ll just keep waiting on the wait-list of other places? I am not at all confident I will find a job anytime soon. I realize how handicapped I am in the job search situation . . . alas, but I must not go into that realm of complaints and regrets and negative thoughts. At least not here, where I hope someday Xuanie will be reading.
