Stuck in the middle

During my years as a Veterinary Technician, I leaned some very important principles of pet behavior. Generally when you had a dog that was being destructive or unruly, you could trace that behavior back to a need that was not being fulfilled, for example, not enough exercise, or not enough attention. Interestingly enough, the same rule applies to kids and in particular to my Gavin.

Our poor middle child gets a bad rap, and I am at the top of the list of people who have labeled him the "difficult" one. There is no denying that he is a handful, but I have also noticed that this is partly my fault. Just like with dogs, Gavin tends to act up more when he has not had enough one on one time or "hard play," as we like to call it. Usually, if I make the time to get on the floor and play trucks, participate in a game of hide and seek, or read him a gazillion books, he is so much happier because his bucket of love has been filled. And our happy Gavin is an absolute joy to be around. He is the kid in the house that gets Jeremy and I laughing hysterically, and he tells us he loves us dozens of times each day. He is a snuggler and is so sweet and tender with Mason. So Gavin, when you read this someday, please know that we love your quirkiness and everything that comes in your Gavin sized package- good and not so good. I would pick you a million times over again, even on the difficult days, because you make our lives exciting, and add spice to this family. Thanks for the entertainment.

Name that tune:


There's a slightly better version here