Tank Does What?

In this next post, actor Teancom Thacker will play an only child...

With the other 2 children gone, Tank is a vastly different creature.  I think it's interesting, the changes, so I wanted to make a note of them.

1 - He's talking a ton.  Like, he doesn't stop talking.  He tells me stories about movies and books.  He tells me stories about the birds he sees.  He comments about the texture of the grass.  He tells me what he wants to do, or not do.  ...  It's fascinating to hear what he has to say.

2 - He's about 1/4 as cuddly.   He will lean against me when we're watching a movie together (which we do about once a day), but that's about it.  He doesn't come in to cuddle with me in the mornings.  He doesn't ask to sit on my lap every 20 minutes.  ...  It's kinda weird, really.  But it's fine.  I don't miss it as much as I thought I might.

3 - He walks everywhere by himself!  (This may be an offshoot of the less cuddly thing, but it's noteworthy enough to be worthy of it's own note.)  To demonstrate how different this is, I'll tell you about yesterday.  Tank wanted to go to the Tree House and then take a hike.  It's a short hike.  Maybe 1/2 mile.  I came home and told Rob that we did that hike and he said, "How far did he walk by himself?"  "All of it."  Rob just stared at me and then said, "Really?"  Yep.  Not once did Tank say, "I'm tired!" or "My legs hurt!"  Not once did he beg to be carried or fall down on the ground to show how desperately he needed to be carried.  Weird, right?

4 - He hasn't been sucking on his fingers.  This is perhaps the most bizarre of all the changes.  Tank ALWAYS sucks his fingers.  Now he's only sucking on them when he's going to bed, and occasionally when he's watching a movie.  But when we're driving in the car, he's playing with toys and/or talking to me.  When he's watching a show, he's also playing with toys.  When he's sitting on the couch, he's ... just sitting there.  It's bizarre.

5 - He saves whining for special occasions.  And a related corollary (you guys are loving my word choices, I know):  he's reasoning through things, and offering lots of alternative solutions.  "We can't do this, but can we do this instead?"  It's wonderful.

6 - He's being doing independent sorts of things.  He hasn't once asked for help putting on his clothes after going to the bathroom.  He gets out food for himself.  And he doesn't gripe about me asking him to help set the table or clear off the table.  Who is this strange child?

So, there you go:  Tank as an only child.

(Lest you all think this is a walk in the park all the time, the drawback is that Tank misses his siblings.  A lot.  For instance, we went on a hike because he thought his brother and sister were also going on a hike that day.  ...  The drawback for me personally?  ...  Even though having only 1 child around is less chaotic, and I haven't yelled at anyone or anything for almost 2 weeks now, and I finish the day with emotional reserves, ...  I really miss my kids.  They are mine and I love them and I want them around.  Who needs emotional reserves?)