One thing that has always amazed me is how three children with the same genetic makeup can be so different. I have friends that have multiple children that all look like they were cut from the same cloth. Not mine…I used to joke that my boys looked like the Mailman, the Milkman, and the FedEx Guy. Now that they are older, the differences are even more pronounced – during political debates, we have Right, Left and Switzerland all represented.
Christoper was always the silent observer. He would quietly sit and take in the situation, sometimes stuck to my leg like a brace. He was painfully shy in his early years. I told one of his friends once that we could barely get him to talk when he was little. He replied, “Really? I can’t ever get him to shut up!”. Chris is no longer shy and can talk nonstop about cars, animals, movies, etc all while he’s taking his car apart in the garage. Who would have known when he was five that he was just saving all of his words up for later? He’s in the Army, married his high school sweetheart and is more than capable of communicating his views. Christopher is my fellow mid-line that likes to play devil’s advocate with both sides…sometimes just to throw the question in and step back and watch the fireworks!
Tommy has always been the social butterfly. Always the jokester, looking for the laugh, and I think at 3, he knew more people than I did. We would go to church and people would continually come up to talk to him. He continues with these attributes today. If there is something to laugh about, Tommy will find it…and humiliate you with it…He does it with such charm that you really can’t be mad. But in my case…you can find ways to get even! Tommy now works as an event planner and uses all of his social skills to ensure that brides have the wedding of their dreams (and that his brother was able to pull of his wedding in four days! – read here). He also is my son that proves to me that people with differing opinions can each look at the others opinions when mutual respect is involved.
Matt was always the active one….always on the go. There was no way to hold him down and he resembled Pig-Pen when he was outside. I could clean him up and the minute he hit the door, he was covered in dirt. This would be my attempt to hold him for a picture…the whole time with him shouting DOWN…DOWN….DOWN!!! This started a long line of skateboarding, bike riding, surfing, and sports. The kid never sat down unless he was ready to pass out. He works as a nurse now and typically is grabbing 4 double shifts a week.
And then there’s me….All I can say is that chasing three boys around left me much thinner…..No pressure to the boys, but I’m hoping that grandchildren will get me moving again!
These pictures were taken within minutes of each other. I have a whole roll of pictures that were taken that day. I was trying to get some family pictures without paying the price for Olan Mills. A friend who moonlighted as a photographer was helping us out. Looking back, she did me a great service of grabbing the boys personalities and immortalizing them forever. Now… if time would have stood still for just a little while longer…..
Mothering, Marriage and Menopause 
I only had one child so didn’t get to experience how different siblings are, except my own experience of being youngest of four. My two grandsons couldn’t be more different, though, and they don’t look much alike either. Cameron who is five is a lot like your Tommy. He is very social and wants to do every activity there is, and enters new social situations with ease. Maxwell who is five is more laid back, and enjoys more quiet time. He is obsessed with dinosaurs and has been digging holes in the backyard looking for bones. Cameron says he’s going to be a paleontologist. His vocabulary is scary.
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