Happy 3rd birthday, Wild Man Gus!

"Challenging." "Spirited." "A handful." On really bad days, "such a sh*t." These are just some of the phrases I've used to describe my third-born. Before Gus's arrival, I thought parenting was pretty tough. The reality of newborn sleep habits hit me hard and sent me reeling when I had Ben. Unlike Ben, Paul, an otherwise laid-back kid, was known to climb a bit. Having had two boys, I thought I had this down pretty well. Little did I know, none of my experience would prepare me sufficiently for Hurricane Gus.

As I mentioned in a recent blog, Gus was colicky and then after a period of a few calm months morphed into crazy, reckless boy. With Ben and Paul, we installed the standard child-safety devices: outlet covers, cabinet locks. Once Gus was mobile, we had to invest in gadgets I didn't even know existed. Door knob covers, locks for our Lazy Susan and oven. (The last I quickly ordered on Amazon after finding the oven door ajar one day while I was baking cookies. Miraculously, Gus didn't burn himself.)

As much as Gus has tested my sanity, as I like to say, there's another side to him. He is the happiest person I know, and it's infectious. Whether he's having a giggle fit or belting out "Frère Jacques" in the middle of a quiet church, he has an irrepressible joie de vivre. My family had this chocolate Lab, Bailey. Gus reminds me a lot of a Lab. Lab puppies are irresistibly cute, and the grown dogs are good-natured, making them a great choice for families with young kids; however, Labs also are incredibly mischievous. In fact, remembering dearly departed Bailey putting his paws up on the counter in order to reach some food, I think of Gus pushing a chair over to the counter so he may better reach the fruit snack cupboard. Even when Bailey committed one of his jaw-dropping acts of naughtiness, and believe me, we have many stories, it was hard to stay angry with him. Such is the case with Gus.

Gus has given me a great gift, one I really needed. He's taught me patience. The frustrations of child-rearing used to get me really tense. In his special Gus way, he's changed me a little bit. Having him challenge me in so many ways has helped me mellow. Instead of flying into a mini rage in frustrating situations, I've learned to just take a deep breath and move on (most of the time, anyway - I am still human).

Gus, you are one-of-kind. You filled the Gus-shaped hole in our lives, and you bring us so much joy. You make us laugh and smile every day, and I don't know what we'd do without you. Happy 3rd birthday, sweet Wild Man Gus!