4th

Yesterday, I had a pretty great day with the boys. Diana was studying and we were pretty trapped in the house. But there was one point where we were watching Star Wars on TV and playing Star Wars guys on the couch and I thought to myself, “This is the greatest moment of my life.” And I was fairly sure Elijah and Luca were feeling the same thing.

About an hour later, I was leaning up against the counter while they both wolfed down a dinner I neither microwaved not purchased from McDonalds. There was even corn involved!

Elijah looked up from his plate (he was shirtless of you need more of a mental picture) and said, “Hey dad!”

I smiled and said, “What, honey?”

“Do you know who I like more than you? I like mommy first. Then Callie. Then Liddie. Then you.”

I was crestfallen. My relationship with Eli has always been being in love with someone who was in love with someone else. But I was under the assumption that I was second on his list. Not stuck in 4th place behind the two cute girls in his class.

Yes. He is 4 years old. Yes, he didn’t mean anything by it and probably didn’t understand what he was saying. And yes, I should take these little things in stride. But I began to babble uncontrollably.

“What’s so great about Callie and Liddie? You aren’t 4th on my love list. You’re tied for first! FIRST! I made you corn, for crying out loud.”

I also found myself getting a little desperate to boot, “What can I do to get out of 4th place? How can I knock Callie and Liddie out? A smear campaign?”

Elijah thought for a second and said, “Maybe if you buy me two big Star Wars ships and then a couple guys.”

Fine. Great. Done.

Later that night Elijah asked if he could take a shower instead of a bath. Because it’s way more fun.

I said, “Only if you put me ahead of Callie and Liddie on your love list.”

Ever the politician, he said, “I like you the same as Callie and Liddie.”

I relayed this story to Diana a while later and she said, “Whelp, at least you'll get a blog post out of it.”