He's a Lover, Not a Fighter

Sam is a big fan of giving hugs. Some are half-hearted, almost like a drive-by. But most are focused, serious, and nearly close to strangling.

I think Dee Dee gets more hugs than everyone else put together. She tries to slink by Sam to avoid being noticed. Every time he sees her, he throws himself on her back, his little arms barely reaching around her big body. He happily murmurs, "Dee Dee!" as he pats her lovingly. He has no idea how much she hates it. She darts forward, shooting out of his grip, causing him to fall on the floor. Unfortunately for Dee Dee, being thrown around simply delights Sam. He picks himself up to thank her with another hug.

Sometimes as I sit near him, watching him play, he gets in a hugging mood and can't get enough. He'll drive a truck for a few moments and then walk over to me. He slowly wraps his arms around my neck and gently rests his cheek against mine. He lets out a sigh that sounds like, "Awww," and then lets me go to play. A minute or two later, the hugging starts again.

Sam knows that Eric is rougher than I am. Eric will repeatedly toss Sam onto our bed, making my heart stop every time. Wrestling with Eric is absolutely Sam's favorite thing to do. When Sam hugs Eric, it is much more aggressive. Sam squeezes him as hard as he can, repeatedly patting him. Their hugs often turn into patting matches.

Yesterday, Aiden came over for a playdate. The boys had so much fun, giggling and running around together. Several times I caught Sam holding Aiden in an embrace. Sam is almost six months older than Aiden, and so about a head taller. This made them the perfect height to end up standing together, facing one another, with Sam's arms wrapped lovingly around Aiden's head. Aiden came out of each hug looking rather bewildered.

Aw, Sam. What a sweet, sweet boy you are turning out to be!