Middle Child

Recently I think Max has felt very much like a middle child. As a middle child myself I think I'm especially sensitive to any of the negatives associated with that position in the family. I am certainly not saying that I was actually ever neglected in any way. It's more just the nature of being a middle child--you aren't the oldest and you aren't the youngest and there is nothing you can do about it.

I know I am sensitive to this issue, but there have been a few times in the past week or two that I have felt like Max feels neglected. Yesterday I felt it most strongly when, after oohing and ahhing over how cute Ruby's new dress was, Max said, "Why don't I have ever have super cute clothes? Ruby always gets the super, super, super cute clothes." I immediately tried to comfort him by telling him how cute he looked in his outfit but obviously failed when he said, "but they are not super, super cute." (which he said with a super, super cute sad face.) When I asked him what he thought would be super cute he said, "I don't know, ribbons or something." Now my Max is a "boy's boy". He's the picture of rough and tumble and takes every opportunity to show that by taking down his older brother with wrestling moves that I think he must have been born with. So the fact that he was considering needing ribbons made me realize that he was in need of a little extra attention.

As hard as I try, I may not always be able to perfectly and evenly distribute my attention, but I do want my children to know that I love them all equally and to the absolute maximum of my ability. Since it's Max that has needed a little extra attention, I will record a few things about him that I don't want to forget.

He talks with a lot of excitement and emotion. I often think Max makes regular statements like they are the punch line of a joke. He also has the facial expressions, sound effects, and actions to go with whatever he trying to say. It's not unusual for him to say something like, "Mommmm. Reed was doing Pshhhhh Pshhh (while punching his hands back and forth) to scare me (makes a very scared face) and I almost fell like Booooom (falls flat on his back and goes limp.) "




This past Fast Sunday Max really wanted to go and bear his testimony. He kept asking me, "Why don't I ever have a turn to go up there?" I told him that there weren't really "turns". Anyone can go and share their testimony when they wanted to. Whenever someone would finish and another member of the congregation would get up he would say in a slightly whiny voice, "Awwwww...SEE they never let me. They keep taking my turn." I told Max that if he went up to bear his testimony he would have to know what he was going to say because I would not be going up there with him. When I asked him what he was going to say he said, "I'm just going to tell them something my Mommy tells me. " "And what does your mommy tell you?" I asked, interested to know what gospel principle that I had attempted to teach had connected with him. "I am going to tell everyone that my mommy says that if I take the Jolly Rancher out of my mouth one more time she is going to take it and throw it out the car window." Not exactly the nugget of information I hoped had stuck with him, but at least he has the desire to share even if the total concept of bearing a testimony is lost on him. It's a start.

Bad picture, but it's the only one I have that will remind me of when Max was looking through the conference Ensign. When he came to the page of all the general authorities he said, "Is this a matching game?"


Max has been learning to read and loves to show off all that he knows. I recently taught him that when you see a question mark your voice needs to go up a little to let people know it is a question. He really took to that rule and now when he gets to the end of a question not only does he draw out the last syllable as long as possible, but he also reads it in a voice so high only bats normally use it to communicate. He loves it and thinks he is sooooooooooooooo funny. I think he is pretty funny, too.

Here he is showing off for my Mom after her sleepless red-eye flight.



You are such a joy in my life Max. I couldn't love you more...not even with ribbons.