What a Brute!

Little Ickey is just too much kid for his own good.

Last week at an HPA volleyball game Ikaika was introduced to another little baby boy Niko. Niko is about two months old and Dougie was holding him so we sort of held Ikaika up to see the baby and said "Look! Another baby!" My man got all excited and started laughing, flapping his arms around, kicking his legs - just nuts happy. Niko burts into tears. I assume he was terrified.

Yesterday over at our friend's house, their granddaughter Xela (pronounced zey-lah. its alex- the dads name- backwards. i will never cease to be amazed at how people come up with names) who is almost 2 was playing on the floor with a toy (something that makes noise electronically so you know my son doesnt have one) and Ickey goes crawling over there to explore. Xela's mom is sitting on the floor with her and says, "Xela, say hi to the baby, share with baby" and so on (mom is having another baby any day now and is eager to get her daughter used to having a small infant around) After a small protest, Xela timidly relaxes her grip on the toy and Ikaika touches it for the briefest moment.

Then he goes nuts. He starts screaming laughing and tries to grab Xela, all but throws himself on top of her, and is flapping his arms around like a mad man again. Guess what? Xela bursts into tears.

I pick Ikaika up and hold him on the couch but then he will not stop screaming. Not screaming crying but just screaming yelling. Hes just yelling. Not unhappy, just yelling. Our friends were laughing and said it was probably because Xela raised her voice at him (when he first tried to grab at her toy) so maybe Ikaika just got the impression that yelling is how you play. I doubt it, I think he was just trying to get her attention back.

I dont know. But I do know that I was sitting there thinking, "is my kid crazy?" Every parent probably reaches the day where they at least think that their kid might be totally anti social, and you worry that perhaps you have raised a little demon who cant interact with other children. I wanted to run out and join some kind of toddler playgroup just to make sure he wouldnt turn into a brat down the road (for now he at least has the excuse of being small). Its kind of an embarrassing process, teaching your kid how to play well with others.

For the record, Ikaikas first attempts at play have resulted in two tearful episodes on the account of his over enthusiastic approach to fun. Hes an animal!