Will the Real Rhys Please Stand Up...

I ate an egg today.

Right?!?!

AK asked for eggs and grits for breakfast this morning and, well, if I'm gonna make her one, I might as well make another one for myself.  

So eggs and sausage it was.  

But I didn't really enjoy it.  

In case that makes my emphatic use of the word "never" from yesterday any better.

(It doesn't)

Onward.

Sweet Rhys.  

The weekend AK lost her first tooth, Rhys had himself a...surprising weekend.

We started with the Fire and Police Palooza in our city.  There were lots of emergency vehicles, men descending down the building, bounce houses, food trucks and plenty of candy at vendor booths.  

Basically, a wonderland of fun for little boys.  AK tagged along because she's too young to stay alone in the house.  Although, don't think she didn't ask for just that.  

The first order of business, obviously, was the obstacle course bounce house.  We got to the event early but we still ended up having to wait in line.  Once we got to the front of the line though, Rhys decided he didn't want to go in.  He'd done these types of bounce houses before.  Strange, I though, but oh well.

He did bounce to his heart's content in the next one.  AK eventually joined him.  Once she got over having to take off her shoes.  

Then we decided to get a snow cone and try out sitting in a fire truck.

Aren't they cute?

But sitting in the fire truck was the last thing we actually did.  We stood in line for lots of stuff  but once we all got to the front of the line, Rhys didn't want to do the activity.  AK never wanted to do the activity to start with but that's not new.

We left after the fourth thing we'd stood in line for but didn't do.  I was kinda over it.

The next day, we went to a friend's birthday party.  It was at a trampoline park.  One we'd visited this summer so it was familiar to us.  I wrongly assumed we would have a blast.  

Rhys bounced zero times.

Instead, I held him for two hours.

Believe me, I put him down plenty.  Or at least I tried.  But he'd just start bawling.  He seemed genuinely scared.  He kept telling me there were too many people there.  I've never seem him like that.  Little arms wrapped around me, holding on for dear life.  

Aubrey Kate, SURE.  Rhys, nope.

The other day, while we were at the park, he wanted me right by his side, holding his waist, while he climbed up...everything.  He cried when I let him go.  Which I only did because he got too tall for me to reach.

Listen.  I don't know what happened to my fearless little man, but I'd like him back.

Apart from those instances, he's been his usual happy, snugly kid at home.  But he definitely seems more fearful and cautious when we're out and about.

If someone has been praying for his fearlessness to just go away, please stop.  I mean, I appreciate the intent but I like Rhys being fearless and brave.  Especially considering Aubrey Kate is cautious enough for both of them.  

Here's the truth:  fearless risk-takers change the world.  And from the minute Skillet kicked his way into the world through my uterus, I knew he was meant to change the world.  I've been telling him that ever since.  "Good night, Little Man.  You're gonna change the world."  And I whole-heartily believe that.

But this scared version of Rhys?  The incredibly heavy one who doesn't want to be out of my arms at a TRAMPOLINE PARK?  This is most definitely not the little guy I know and love.  This is a version of Rhys I might enjoy in the moment (because who doesn't love Rhys snuggles?  Nobody.  That's who.) but not for forever.  I mean apart from the fact he's crazy heavy.  All that fearlessness up until this point has put on a good amount of muscle on the boy.  He's just stout.  

However, I do realize, if no one has been actually praying for his fearlessness to disappear, then I have to assume it's some sort of weird phase.  A new phase for sure.  It's not like AK ever went through a random fearlessness phase.  I would have taken her to the doctor straight away.  That girl is often still too scared to go down an unfamiliar slide at a new park.    

And if this is a phase, I would ask we all pray it ends soon.

Really soon.

I miss my fearless Skillet.  Like a lot.