Pete the Pirate

My youngest son Peter is three.

He daily tells me his name is Pete the Pirate.

He needs friends his own age.

An incident today makes that very apparent.

As I was walking my best friend and her sons out to their car, my THREE YEAR OLD son locked all the doors. AND closed the windows. And when I tried the door, I caught a glimpse of him through the window beside the door. He was jumping up and down with glee. Instead of coming when I called, he ran the other way, laughing all the way. 

His sisters were with me. Locked out. They found it hysterical that their baby brother had barricaded himself in the house. When they pounded on the door and pushed the door bell themselves, they laughed when he poked his angelic little head out the window and stuck his tongue out at them.

A THREE YEAR OLD.

Whatever happened to building blocks, coloring books, and playdoh--age appropriate fun for preschoolers?  I don't remember any of my other children having this level of frisky mischief. They didn't pull off pranks like Peter does. What is in the milk these days? And I even buy the kind with no hormones and stuff!

Peter and his shenanigans. Where does he get all his ideas?

When I finally used my "stern" voice and Peter opened the door, grinning impishly, I discovered the answer to these rhetorical questions. AIDAN was behind the door. The voice in his brother's head. Oz behind the curtain. Teaching my preschooler his tricks and tomfoolery! The mastermind behind all the mischief in my life.

Those two--double trouble!

That is it! Peter needs some playdates with children under the age of 8. Absolutely no sword playing, pirating, boxing, soldiering, wii-playing, mud flinging, slingshoting, tackling, wrestling, punching, rude-sound making, lizard catching, gun shooting, booger flicking, body slamming, top-of-his lungs storytelling, tickle torturing,  trampoline back-flipping, wedgie giving, incessant questioin asking...am I forgetting anything?

Anyone wanna have a playdate with charming Peter?

Wait! I blinked! Where did my sweet baby go?

Addendum: After typing this post, I decided attempt to remedy what was lost--my son's childhood. I put on a Miss Patty Cake dvd first. Fat chance! He wouldn't dance with the "Bubbling with Joy" song like all the other three year olds. I admit I was a bit freaked out by the weird man-rabbit too, but I needed to start someplace.The last movie he had watched was National Geographic and the last book I had read was a chapter from Apologia on reptiles. When I asked him to choose a picture book from his shelf for me to read to him, Peter chose a DK book on Battle. And he brought a flashlight. Peter insisted on building a fort while we read so it would be "scurry" (Peter for: "scary").  I think it is a losing battle. He is the youngest kid trying keep up with his big brothers. And I guess I need to just trust God that He knew what He was doing when He put Peter in this family! :) So we are off to make paper airplane gliders--forget the playdoh!