Have we talked about Solomon recently? Let’s do it.
Solly is 3.5 years old, and is just a pleasant little dude. While he has only recently picked up some of the stereotypical behaviour that tends to come along with three year olds. A few more opinions, basically, and a bit of a louder way to communicate them 😉 You know what I mean. But in the midst of all of that, he is such a sweet, silly, gentle little boy. He is pure delight.
He plays super well, together and independently. He sings a lot and counts. He likes to colour, but only when everyone else does. He loves to sit with a book more so. He does most of the chore-ish things older kids do, like setting the table and helping with the dishwasher.
If he’s feeling cozy and snuggly, he loves to have his face stroked, and will literally doze in and out. But he also loves a good dance party!
Something I’ve been observing recently is that Solly is really embracing big brother mode. He’s been a big brother for quite some time now, obviously, and it went from Wavy being cute to look at, to Wavy being a danger to his games and toys, and while it still looks that way sometimes, he has embraced guiding her and showing her the ropes of life in his own way. As I sat on the couch today, sipping coffee, I paid close attention to the way they interact. As Waverly set out her shapes and worked to find how they fit into the sorter, Solly sat beside her, itching to put them in for her, but holding his hands tight, resisting. When she found the right spot but couldn’t quite coordinate them into it, he’d put the shape into the basket, all the while saying “Good job, Wavy! Good find!” As Wavy would try to climb onto the couch, Solly would lift her bum up and help her. That one is NOT graceful but OH so cute! When Wavy was sad, Solly went in search of her water bottle and slippers.
Earlier today, Solly broke a rule that he knows is a rule. He stood/jumped on the bottom of our drying rack, effectively collapsing it, full of clothes. I was really frustrated with him, and I told him so. I don’t like having to essentially baby proof for the sake of my three year old, and I told him I shouldn’t have to. His latest phrase came out – “I won’t do that tomorrow, mom.” He says it about everything. Admittedly, I brushed that off. Maybe about ten minutes later, he came up to me on his own, totally calmly, and said “Mom, I’m sorry I was on the drying rack again. I’ll be obedient now.” And while I know he’s a human and very likely, he will, at some point, be disobedient again, but I loved how he left, and thought about it, and came back to right his wrong.
He told me today, “Mom, I really love you because you’re sooooo cute!” He followed that up with grandma also being sooooo cute, and then daddy, too. Daddy was “Sooooo cute. Ya. And fun.” He loves his people.
Solly hears everything! Today, the coffee maker beeped off and his whole face changed. “I hear the smoke alarm.” In church, loudly, “Grandma! I hear the train!” Stuff like that. He is on top of it all.
If you ask Solly his name, he usually says either Solomon, or Sol Brady. I’m curious to see what name he’ll like as he gets older, because he is SO nicknamable!
These days, I spend some evenings upstairs to give my body a rest while Brady gives the kids supper. When it comes to bedtime, the kids all come upstairs for nighttime hugs. He’s the one who waits patiently at the door while Waverly comes up for hugs, and then runs around the room, unsure of the next part. He stands by the door, calling to her in a higher than usual voice, “Wavy! Come with me, Wavy!” When she finally finds her way back to him, he ushers her out with a hand on her back and reminds her to turn around on her tummy to go down the stairs. He’s so on it.
He keeps growing and maturing, and I’m both ready and not ready. I am LOVING where Solly is at right now. He is changing, yet still so content with whats going on. He seems to roll with the punches effortlessly. Part of me is sad to see him growing up, because true story – I thought I’d have more little ones by the time he was this age. But looking only at him and who he is, I am SO thrilled!
Solomon Sol Solly Wolly Smalls Brady Baby Boy ❤️ We sure love you!
