Imagine my surprise to find myself suddenly single again.  I mean, I thought I was rising from the ashes before, but to one day be suddenly ejected from my family… my head is still spinning.  I’m going to spare the gory details at present, as those who need to know what’s going on already know what’s going on.

I suppose the biggest aspect of this change is the fact that I’m not there with my kids, able to see them and their daily changes at the moment.  In the interim, my son has sprouted 2 teeth, including one on the bottom right that’s coming in a little less than straight.  I guess that’s what he gets for gnawing on everything.  Oh, and he’s mobile now.  So it was bad enough before when he discovered he could get places by rolling, now he’s found a faster method of locomotion.

I’ve lost things before in my past, only to take whatever lessons could be gleaned from those situations and move on.  I guess that’s what I’m obligated to do again here.  Thus, I again get to experience the lesson “That which does not kill me makes me stronger.”

I’ve heard it said that each child is different, and you should never expect your children to act like one another growing up.  Xi’an sure enough proves that true, as he’s so much different than Elana was at this stage.  I’ve NEVER seen a kid so irritable before in my life.  I love having a son, but I figured I’d have a few years before he became so combative.  With Elana, and even Kailani to some degree, I get a manner of deference.  They treat me as if what I say is something that should be listened to.  Not so much with Xi’an.  Now, granted, he’s only 5 months old, and that’s going to be the major factor involved, but you’d think that he’d be a little less grumpy around me.  He see’s or hears Trish, and he lights up like a Christmas tree.  He sees Grandma or Grandpa, and he’s at least calm.  With dad though.. I get a “Who the f*(^ is you?” look and a ’stranger’ cry.  It’ll be interesting to see how he changes as time rolls forward.  For now, he’s mom’s problem.