Connor is either very smart or a real jerk. He’s found a way to get some Connor-Dad alone time without Isabel stealing his spotlight.
Normally, after school or on weekends, Isabel gets most of the attention in our household. Why? Because she demands it and is adorable enough that it is very rewarding. Even when Jake or I try to spend some quality time with Connor she will come over and give him a big hug, help him get a toy, read to him, or suggest a way that we can play with her while still dealing with Connor. For example, Isabel has started suggesting that we ‘hold Connor and follow her on the tricycle’…this activity is as ‘rewarding’ as it sounds. Literally, I hold Connor and Isabel does figure 8’s around the kitchen island, down the hallway to the front room, and then a mini-circle in the front room. Sometimes she pretends we are going somewhere (the beach, whole foods) and sometimes she asks that I try to catch her. Spoiler alert – Each lap is about 70 steps (I know you were wondering).
Now comes Connor’s evil genius. He must know that the best time for quality time is when Isabel is sleeping. So he’s been waking up at 4am and yelling…when we go in the room to give him his pacifier and say it’s not morning time yet, he counters with a giant smile and a few legs kicks and arm swings. It’s adorable. Then 7-15 minutes later (it depends on how long it takes us to get comfortable back in bed) he decides he wants to see our faces again and repeats the process. In order to keep from waking up the rest of the Kleinmahons, we will take him downstairs early and hang out.
I’ll admit I don’t want to be up this early…but I also admit that I really do enjoy this one-on-one connor time. We get to lay on the comfy blanket that Jake, Isabel, and Connor got me for Father’s day. We get to read books and play with toys without fear that they will be confiscated by our sister. We get to yawn a lot. Often we get to read dad’s work emails out loud. We don’t have to fear a stray arm, elbow, or foot hitting us in the head during gymnastics practice. It’s pretty relaxing. And…This typically results in nap priority for dad during family nap time. It also results in some very hard core pass-out poses by CPK.
Connor…if you’re listening. I love you! I promise you’ll get your fair share of attention. But I’ll love you even more if you sleep until 7am.
