The Forgotten Child

I talk to my sister, Beth, pretty regularly and she is always anxious to talk to the boys on the phone as well. She is one of my regular blog readers so I asked her the other day if she had read my latest entry "For the Birds" since Ben was trying to tell her the story of the three birdies who flew into our window. She said she looked at the pictures but only scanned the writing. Apparently my blog entries get a little too wordy for a busy second grade teacher who tries to catch up during her brief prep periods. She also requested more pictures of the boys. Easier said than done.
Beth is the self-proclaimed forgotten child of my family. She sits right in the middle of the three sisters and has always said that pictures of her as a child are few.
Well, sis, here's why...it's not because parents love the second (and consecutive) child(ren) less than the oldest child, it's not that they are too busy to take photos (though they are). The real reason for there being far fewer photos of younger siblings it that they just don't hold still long enough to get a picture! Mom and Dad have always told us how Bethie was walking at eight months. She was curious, inquisitive, and only stopped to sleep (but only in her own bed). Sam is the same kind of kid and it seems that so are many of his peers who also happen to be the second child in their families. Sam goes everywhere at a dead run lately. He hears anyone talk slightly above a normal voice and he responds with a hearty yell. He will repeat almost anything that is said to him and loves parroting, "No, no, no!" when I tell he or Ben no. Sam is my whirlwind, my Godzilla, and as Ben put it tonight in the tub while Sam was splashing like mad, "A silly monster." Sam used to be very interested when I got out the camera but his interest was not to be the subject of the photo but to take the photo himself. Now he could care less that the camera is out. He just keeps moving! Thus, all my photos of him are somewhat blurred, he's halfway in the frame, or all I get is the top of his head. And, getting a photo of Sam alone is almost impossible since Ben loves having his picture taken. So, when I do get a picture of Sam it ends up being something like this....

The result of running through the living room, tripping on air, and smacking his head on the corner of the coffee table. Poor kid. At least it happened today rather than yesterday when he had his 15 month checkup with a new doctor. Could you imagine how embarrassing that would have been trying to explain the black and blue goose egg that protruded a good half inch out from his forehead! Unfortunately, it doesn't look much better in black and white.

A photo from a few days ago isn't too bad, but notice how much of the photo isn't Sam but the end table behind him and the blur in the bottom right-hand corner is his hand moving quite quickly.

Oh well, maybe when Sam is nearing three like his big brother we'll get some shots like these.....