The Little King

Also known as Ryan

When my husband and I were picking out names for our first born, we really liked the name Ryan and chuckled when we read that Ryan meant "Little King" in Gaelic.

Little did we know just how much Ryan would live up to his name.

Ryan is simply a force of nature.

That's why I love the above picture of him. Because it just encapsulates everything that Ryan is.

Joyful
Energetic
Goofball

Ryan is a child who marches to the beat of his own drummer.

I would love to tell you that the amazing spirit contained within this child brings nothing but joy to our household. However, the truth is it is a mixed blessing.

With his love of socializing comes an inability to stop talking in situations that require silence (his classroom for example).

With his fierce curiosity comes the compulsion to touch and get into absolutely everything.

With his determination to have his way, comes an argumentative streak that causes him and me to butt heads frequently.

With his boundless energy come two exhausted parents who sometimes feel it difficult to keep up with him.

He just has always lived his life at a rate of 80 mph and I suppose he always will. It's not that he does stuff to be naughty; he just has a tendency to push the limits all the time. As such, Ryan has spent a great deal of his life getting into trouble. He's just never understood when to keep a low profile.

The good thing about Ryan is that he has never expected anything less from Justin than that he be his constant companion. Even with Justin's limited conversation skills, the two of them have developed a bond between them deeper than the ocean.

Ryan was the first person Justin ever started to imitate. Slowly, Justin began to be seduced by Ryan's fantastic world of play and wanted nothing more than to be a part of it. Justin quite simply, worships the ground his older brother walks on, and in return, Ryan is a fiercely protective older brother. Heaven help the child that thinks they will ever "bully" Justin because Ryan just ain't havin' it.

Of course, in wanting to imitate his brother, Justin too has been engaging in some less than desirable behaviors. I'm afraid that in our excitement to have Justin behave in a more typical fashion that we let slide a lot of things that we probably shouldn't.

Like the time Justin told me to "shut up", and I exclaimed with quiet glee "Yeah! He's talking back". I'm sure Ryan was thinking, "I'd never get away with that" and he'd be right. Not one of my best Mommy moments.

Truth be told, I've been waiting for the day when Ryan spouts off with justified indignation, "It's not fair!", because honestly, it's not. Because of his inability to understand certain rules and concepts, Justin has, at times, been allowed to get away with things that I would never let slide with Ryan. And while I know this isn't fair, sometimes it's just not worth correcting minor infractions knowing the inevitable meltdown that will ruin Justin's day.

Therefore, as a means of making it up to Ryan, my in-laws generously bought tickets for an upcoming stage show called Walking with Dinosaurs...just for Ryan. The idea being that for one weekend, Ryan would get to sleep over at his beloved grandparents house, and go to this dinosaur show (which for Ryan would be the equivalent of seeing the Beatles), all without his little brother in tow. The intent is to have a weekend all about Ryan.

Yet when we told Ryan about the upcoming event, his reaction was unexpected.

Ryan: "Mommy, it's not fair!"
Me: "What's not fair?"
Ryan: "Justin loves dinosaurs too. Why can't he go with me? It's just not fair."

There it was. He had finally uttered the words I knew were coming, but in an entirely different context.

I guess, when all is said and done, his reaction isn't too surprising. Because with Ryan's oversized personality, comes a tremendous capacity for kindness and compassion.

It's this same generosity that makes Ryan ask all the neighborhood kids over for lunch.

It's this same thoughtfulness that makes him pick bouquets for me from my garden because he knows how much I love flowers.

It's this same caring that brought him to tears when I bought Christmas presents for a less fortunate child last year, because he couldn't bear the thought that some kids don't have as much as he does.

My benevolent Little King.

He may sometimes drive me crazy, but I am so very privileged to live in his kingdom.