“Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” Forrest Gump
This quote has never seemed so much like my life until recently. Life is funny like that sometimes. It throws curve balls every once in a while. I believe we’re never thrown something we can’t handle. It may feel like it’s the end of the world in the moment, but usually, we can figure out how to accept and overcome the curveballs.
Having kids is a lot like having a box of chocolate. You never know what you’re gonna get. As my husband likes to say, “same recipe each time, different outcome.” We have three kids. We used the same recipe each time. But got something different with each kid.
Their differences make them unique. And this uniqueness should be celebrated. Our youngest has had to keep up with two older siblings. He is nonstop, always on the go. He thinks he’s hilarious and has started trying to tell jokes. He’s not afraid of anything to do with gross motor skills. And until recently, wasn’t really afraid of anything, but has since developed a bit of a fear of loud noises, fireworks, and bugs. He definitely has a very strong personality.
Our oldest is a combination of the two of us. He has a bit of OCD plus is very impulsive. He can build with legos for hours, but god forbid something doesn’t go his way, all hell breaks loose. He has quite the temper and likes to let us know how unfair life can be. But he is very creative. And can often see a creation in his mind and bring that creation out in blocks. He is a very hands-on learner and can tell you all about the Titanic. He is going to do great things someday with that mind of his.
And then there’s Hayden. Hayden has always been a go with the flow kid. Someone takes a toy away, Hayden just finds a new one. Something doesn’t work out, Hayden just moves on. Until recently, Hayden never really had meltdowns. I think my children like to now compete with who is going to have the loudest, most massive meltdown of the day. Hayden enjoys imaginative play and has always been a nurturer. Hayden let us know what Hayden likes from a very early age. Hayden has always been confident in who Hayden is.
Three kids. Three different personalities. Same recipe. Different children. Same box of chocolate. Different chocolates inside. Same family. Different unique individuals.
When we got pregnant with our children, we never thought we’d be where we are now. We didn’t realize how wrong we were about gender. We didn’t know how much we actually didn’t know. We were thrown a curve ball with Hayden. A curve ball that made us grow and learn as a family. A curve ball that opened our eyes to a wealth of knowledge. A curve ball that we have embraced and love.
I am glad Hayden was born to us. Hayden has brought us so much joy, so much knowledge, so much understanding. I look forward to continuing this journey as a family. Changes will always happen as our children grow. Curveballs will always be thrown our way. But it’s nothing we can’t handle. It makes life interesting. It shows us new opportunities and ways to look at things. Our box of chocolate is definitely a special one.
I am so glad Hayden was born to your family too. I wish all children who are born to paths not readily accepted by society had families that readily accepted them. Hayden is fortunate, indeed. As are y’all.
As always, I love reading your blog. Thank you for sharing your box of chocolates with us.
Thank you! I am glad this box of chocolates was chosen for us! Thank you for your continued support!
It makes me think about finding out the gender of a baby before birth. I know it was popular in the 80s to find out and my mom, ever the anachronism, chose to be surprised. I chose to find out with both of my children because I wanted the baby to have a name and be a real person I could connect with before they were born but to think of all the gendered expectations that put on a fetus that you don’t even realize, it boggles the mind.
Right! I’ve been thinking of this a lot lately. I wanted to know what we were having so I could plan, but never decided on a name until I met the baby. We found out with the first 2 and not with the 3rd. I’m glad I chose somewhat gender-neutral names for all of them. Because we never know what gender they truly are until they are old enough to express themselves.
Hayden has definitely been given the best family. I knew that the day Hayden’s dad came home with princess dresses for Hayden from a tag sale. (I think it was a tag sale?) I don’t know Aaron that well, but I certainly know Logan! You have a wonderful mix of candy!
They are definitely a very diverse group of kids for sure!