Middle Child

Do you believe in the "middle child syndrome"?

The jury is still out in my mind, having no experience of it in my childhood as I only have an older sister. I can remember the benefits of being the younger sibling, watching my older sister carve the way so to speak, I can already see the downfalls of being the older one when I study our three. Being the first must at times be difficult, but what of number 2, not the oldest or the youngest, the biggest or the smallest just the middle one!

Our #2 seems quite happy with his position. The arrival of #3 seemed natural to him, I would go as far as to say he seemed not to notice, but maybe I am wrong!

It all began when #1 was having his feet measured for his school shoes in December, one of those mundane chores that you think will go unnoticed until #2 decided he thought it was thoroughly unfair that he wasn't having his feet measured for a pair. Now these school shoes aren't exciting, no they're a pair of black shoes but still #2 howled and yowled the whole shop down. I'm sure #1 would have quite willingly given his position up knowing that these new shoes meant school but still we left the shop with #2 firmly held under our arm like a rugby ball still shrieking "I don't get anything"!!!

This didn't end up being an isolated incident, oh no! The same happened when we were shopping for #1's school uniform, another shop left rugby ball under arm. I must say if this ever happens to you it's best not to glance back over you shoulder and note the amazed and dazzled looks on the faces of the passers-by, just keep walking head in the air, what noise, what child screaming!! What mine!

Then silence, a calmness with #2 back to his chilled somewhat horizontal self, that was until this........

When I was pregnant with #3 I made two blankets for her here and here #2 paid no attention where as #1 asked for one, so being the good mother I am (!!!) I obliged. We choose the fabrics together settling on fabrics from David Walkers Robots range and I set about making him a cosy blanket, all the time #2 was blissfully unaware. Even the result #2 seemed to not notice so I decided to use the fabrics to make him a log cabin quilt for when he made the change from cot to bed. Though when he saw the blocks he was so unimpressed that I must say it's become a WIP and he moved into his bed with such ease that his "settling in quilt" never transpired. And then a few weeks ago whilst being put to bed #2 suddenly spied #1's blanket as if for the first time and suddenly declared "I WANT ONE". Now this could have been a one off, but no, for the days that followed we heard questions like "why does he and she have one and I don't" so being the resourceful mother that I try to be I remembered that I had more of the minky fabric that I had used to back #1's blanket with and gave him this and for awhile this has been fine in fact he has taken it everywhere with him.

So problem solved you may think until the other day when out of the blue #1 thanked me for his blanket, just there in the lounge whilst cuddling it. A lovely moment when the hours you spend sewing are appreciated, though the moment was quickly dashed when #2 followed suit and said "yes thank you mummy for mine" whilst he cuddled up to his piece of minky well my heart became to weep, what cruel mother could let their son cuddle up to what is just a remnant piece of fabric. So that was that, other projects have been discarded and blanket for #2 has been made priority.

It's been good to make something again as there were things I didn't like about #1's blanket mainly the minky I used on the back it's ever so soft but not the easiest to work with so I've been more prepared for it this time round! The choice of fabrics have had to be the same well almost, so it's been fun playing around with them to make the blankets subtly different but in the eyes of #2 "the same"! And the most important thing is, he seems happy with the results. And happy children mean peaceful households! For the moment at least!!