I don’t know why (okay, I kind of do know why, teeheehee) we have so many spring birthdays, but we do. Like, over half our family birthdays end up within a three week window and by the end of it, we’re all a little fatigued from all the fun–the presents, the cake, the extravagant dinners…Kidding! The kids live for the gluttonous lifestyle all those birthdays afford. Lucky for Peter, he loves cake, ice cream, candles, presents, balloons, etc, etc, etc, even after watching other people celebrate only days before him.
Peter and I have a very interesting relationship. I love the kid to death, but sometimes, I get the very distinct feeling that he thinks of me as his servant. Maybe it stems from the number of hiking trips we took with him strapped onto my back or that he’d scream for something and I was one of the only ones who could understand him, but he is very much a momma’s boy. Sometimes, he’s a little demanding, but if it doesn’t make me feel needed and important, I don’t know what would.
Peter’s second love, aside from bossing me around, is his love of the outdoors. Generally, I love that he loves nature. Sometimes though, the call of the wild is the bane of my existence. I can’t go outside to take out the trash without him insisting that he come with me. Okay, fine. And if I don’t go outside as frequently as he’d like, he’s learned to let himself out one of the doors so he can wander. If he’d agree to stay away from the pond, the road, the poison ivy, the bees, the barn loft, the forest, the electric fence, and large animals’ hooves, maybe I’d consider it. But since he seems to gravitate to all the places he’s not allowed, he still is under supervision while outside.
He’s not a fair weather outdoorsman, either. Hot, cold, windy, rainy, snowy…if it’s outside, he’s happy.
Because of his love of the outdoors, he also has a genuine love for the animals on our farm. He’s not afraid to get his hands dirty, whether we’re cleaning stalls or stacking hay, and though he can be a bit wild and crazy himself, he has a real knack for making animals fall in love with him. If there’s something he inherited from me, I like to think it’s our mutual admiration of the animal kingdom.
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| Dirt stuck to his boogers…farm kid problems. |
All that time outside and around animals means Peter is perpetually a dirty child. It’s led to a lot of showers (which mercifully, he rather enjoys) and probably a robust immune system from all the germs he inevitably eats and has perpetually stuck under his nails and up his nose.
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| Decorative face dirt. |
He fits in with the rest of the kids, all ragtag and dirty, running their baby gang in the open spaces outside.
Running those little legs all day in keeping up with other people means Peter also has a very healthy appetite. A lot of times, when I’m eating something, he’ll saunter up to my side and open his mouth, akin to a baby bird who fully expects food to be shoved down his throat. Sometimes, I oblige, but he’s getting old enough to have his own plate. He’ll eat just about anything, as long as it’s not raw vegetables–in soups, smoothies, baked, grilled, or pureed, he’ll eat vegetables like there’s no tomorrow. Raw? They’re basically a vehicle to get Ranch dressing into his mouth. He also isn’t a huge fan of bread. Gasp! If I wasn’t positive I gave birth to him, I’d wonder if he was my son because I’m pretty certain I’m made up of at least 30% bread. I’ll forgive him for not loving bread though, because that means more homemade bread for me.
On top of the five million calories he consumes every day to sustain his growing body, he also sleeps. A lot. I bow to his superior skills at falling asleep, that rival that of any old man and usually center around completing a meal. I’ll catch him snoozing with his head back…
…hanging by his nose at the edge of the table…
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| Yep. He was asleep in that precarious position. Even Spiderman needs to nap. |
…folded over on the rocking chair in a Spiderman costume…
…while getting a ride on the lawnmower…
…or splayed on the table. He’s a good napper in the car, will fall asleep on the floor at church, has snoozed in the emergency room…if I’m really lucky, I’ll actually get him to his bed before he’s passed out and I have to lug his heavy body to his room.
All those hefty naps and early bedtimes has contributed to Peter’s natural inclination to be an early riser. Not that I particularly mind–I’m a morning bird myself. It’s kind of sweet sharing some one-on-one time with him first thing in the day. We’ll get breakfast on the table, I’ll sit down to type, and he just quietly watches.
Other than the first half an hour or so of Peter’s day, quiet isn’t usually an adjective I’d associate with him. He’s always had a big personality and his meltdowns in particular are epic. I’m fairly certain he’d made more than one person’s ears bleed with his shrill scream of Nooooooo! Fortunately, they are usually short-lived. Nothing that a nap, a little time alone, the right question, or giving him a choice can’t squelch. Then, he overs a heartfelt apology with a cute little hug, and is back to being loud, only with shrieks of excitement and belting laughs.
There is no question that Peter is a helper. Ever since he realized what helping is and has been able to get to whatever task there is to complete. He loves to shuck corn, he’s the first to race over to unload the dishwasher, he shoves his siblings out of the way if I ask someone to fetch something for me. Is it possible to be helpful to a fault? Maybe, but I’m not going to discourage him from being eager about it.
One of Peter’s favorite chores to help with is washing windows, which may be why I often find them dirtying them. Good for a laugh and a good reason to wash the windows. Again.
That same zeal also has manifested itself
when we welcomed Adam into our family. Peter is supremely protective of Adam and is so sweet when he walks by Adam’s bassinet, always making sure to give his baby brother a kiss on the forehead.
Despite his love for Adam (and the rest of his siblings for that matter), Peter isn’t *quite* ready to relinquish his role as the baby. He’s never done anything malicious to show it, but when he shuffles out of his room after a nap, insisting he wear a pair of Adam’s pants, hugging a collection of blankets, and crawling onto someone’s lap for a snuggle, it’s pretty clear what he’s thinking.
Though all of our kids are different and have their very own personalities and interests, one area of overlap is their sense of humor. Peter got a full measure of it and is always looking for a good laugh. He’s recently been honing his skills in entertaining others and has a wild imagination that’s sort of like watching a hilarious mime trying to get you to guess what he’s pretending to be. As a lover of laughter myself, I’m glad to see Peter bringing more joy and humor into the world.
He’s also big on adventure. I won’t say it’s because he’s a boy that he’s so adventurous, but he’s definitely one of the most fearless of our children. Even Claire and Henry who preceded Peter and have done their share of reckless stunts have in a few ways been outdone by their little brother.
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| Ready to drive off in search of adventure! |
For one, he loves the water and isn’t afraid to leap in, even when his timing isn’t quite right and he surfaces, sputtering and coughing out water. He’s gotten better the more time he’s spent in the water, but regardless of the daredevil stunt he’s pulling, Peter is always fully committed.
The day of Peter’s birthday was pretty lowkey. It fell on Saturday, our regular weekly cleaning day, and though he was excused from cleaning, he helped anyway, ’cause helping’s his thing.
Presents were kind of minimal (because what do you really get a two year old that they’ll actually appreciate?) and we had decorate-your-own-cupcakes because we’d already had cake twice that week from Zoey and Jack’s birthdays and were a teensy bit tired of it. Not that Peter minded. Being able to decorate his cupcake the way he wanted catered to the independent streak that is alive and well in him.
There is so much more to Peter that words couldn’t ever adequately express, but when we say we love him, we mean it with all that we know how. He’s tough and enduring, clever and intelligent, compassionate, passionate, kind, and empathetic. Peter’s a problem solver, a clown, an incredible brother, and from where I’m standing, it’s clear he’ll change the world with all the goodness in him.
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| Those rosy cheeks and blue eyes! 😍 |
It’s only been two years, but we’re so, so glad and count ourselves blessed to have Peter as a part of our family. We’re looking forward to many more birthday celebrations with him and to watch his life unfold. One thing’s for certain with him: it’ll be an amazing adventure.
