Our Thinker

Over the past year or so, we've become good friends with a couple who also have three children about the same age as ours. It's been nice to compare, commiserate, and relate with another dual-working parent family with three little ones. The similarities in our children are significant- particularly in the age groups of the three kids.

Both of our oldest children are girls, born within two months of each other, and I'm not sure if it's their place in the birth pecking order - but they are very much alike - both girls have strong personalities, are way off the charts academically, both girls sometimes don't possess the most common sense, and both hold a sense of self entitlement that they should get to do things first - after all - they are the oldest.

Our youngest two children are both boys, born within four months of each other. At their tender ages of 20 months and 16 months, both are showing their independence, their sweet personalities, and can easily be described as 'all boy.' Both boys have an affinity for food - and would happily snack and graze all.day.long if we allowed them.

It's our middle two children that seem to come up with the most precocious and interesting statements. Addie is almost five and James is almost four - with their birthdays not quite a year apart to the day - but the similarities between them are remarkable. Brian calls Addie 'his thinker'. She ponders things, mulls them over in her mind, and comes up with outrageous and sometimes difficult questions to answer.

James is starting to do the same - every night pounding us with questions that I can't begin to answer - from the silly and asinine (why do eagles have feathers to fly) to the bigger more difficult questions such as 'why is God in Heaven' or 'how big was the Angel Gabriel?'

He has become the 'thinker' in our family. And I wonder, does it have something to do with being the middle child - or is it just his inherent personality?

Whatever the reason, he keeps us on our toes - and his latest concern, serious concern, folks - is that Santa and his sleigh will 'break our roof.' He is VERY worried that our roof won't support the weight of Santa, the sleigh, eight reindeer (nine - if you count Rudolph if the weather turns out foggy) and the gifts he's hoping to receive.

And while we try our best to reassure - Deonne has all but gone into the intricate details of structural engineering to explain trusses and beams and other things I don't understand - all it takes is one look to see him mulling our response over in his mind - questioning if we're right - clearly not convinced that we know what we're talking about.

And for now, I'm okay with that. I'm hoping we can build the trust he needs so that when the really tough questions start coming, he'll trust his parents' advice.