Unlike the one about Danny, this is the question that is rarely asked. One thing I set my mind to when I was first pregnant with Danny, and then made a further priority when Danny was born and we saw he’d need all sorts of extras, was that Eric wouldn’t get lost in the shuffle. I never want him to feel like he’s an after thought, like he comes second fiddle to his brother. Of course, that’s impossible in a way … kids are always going to grow up with times they feel their sibling is getting more of something … but I guess I just don’t want it to be true.

It’s an easy trap to fall into, too. I got a call today from a mom from our old daycare; she said she’d tried to call a few times but must have had the number wrong, and she wanted to invite us to her son’s birthday party at a bounce house place. My initial reaction was no, Danny probably wouldn’t do well there, plus he’d have to have his ears off and that adds all sorts of other complications. But immediately I caught myself. I can’t not let Eric do something just because of Danny. These are kids, friends, he grew up with; the one whose birthday it is was there practically from birth himself, and they were in the same room for a solid 2 years. How fair would that be?

So, how IS Eric doing?

That’s a lot harder to qualify than it is with Danny, but overall, he’s doing awesome. John commented the other day that this is practically the perfect age – and the more I thought on it, the more I agree. He is all innocence and wonder and mischief and imagination and discovery and magic. The whole world is still interesting and amazing to him, he is old enough to understand and learn it, and he just wants to soak it all up. We can have conversations, and there is no hiding yet, what he feels he says. I love to watch his imagination at work, where he discovers and recreates the world, making the most simple thing into something awesome.

This morning, while dropping him off at school, he said he wanted to give me “big dinosaur kisses” and a “big giant dinosaur hug” before saying goodbye. Who can say no to that?

The kid is a smarty too. All parents think that, and I’m not saying he’s a genius or anything, but he’s sharp and he loves to learn. He can count, I think to 20 if he applies himself. He sings the alphabet song, along with a number of others – he told me the other day that he loves singing. His favorite color is yellow and he gets upset if you eat the yellow ones in a box of Smarties. (Canadian Smarties, not American Smarties.) He recognizes a couple of letters, though not many, and any time there are words on something he wants he tells you they say his full name. He loves to play games – board games and computer games both – and do puzzles.

He tantrums at the drop of a hat, calms quickly if you ask him how he’s feeling, and gives huge hugs after a time out. He makes poop in the potty, but forgets himself often and then strips his underwear off, running around naked until being asked why, only to announce “my underwear’s wet!” He shares with his brother without prompting, but if Danny comes over to try to get what’s his, he gets fiercely protective.

In essence, he’s 3. And he’s awesome.