I was expecting this trip to be difficult from a family standpoint. Specifically from a "my mother" standpoint. Since we were in different houses I think I was spared a lot of her drama and instead the thing that stands out as the most difficult on this trip was my very own Ryan (first picture below). He has been called "cryin' Ryan" since the minute he came out. He never lost this name but what I have been trying to tell people is that he is just not quite right. Not saying I love him any less (in fact to an outsider it might seem I love him more b/c so much of my time is devoted to him). He is different. He doesn't fall into any perfect category but man that child cries a lot. The thing with Ryan is there is no middle ground. He is either great and the perfect child or horrible and crying for what seems like an eternity. Unless you spend a significant amount of time with us, you don't notice it. If you witness a meltdown you assume he is having a bad day or tired, etc. Problem is this is every day. Everything is a struggle and rather than getting better, I feel it is getting worse. Clark still seems somewhat oblivious to it and says he is fine, it will get better. Ryan is 4 and 4 year old are allowed to have tantrums but I can assure you he has way more than most 4 year olds. His brothers sure don't have this issue. Everything sets him off. Anything that doesn't go exactly according to his plan, sets him off. When you tell him no...he cries. Everything from getting dressed to trying to get him to eat is a struggle. In the end he does whatever you want and is usually happy about it. My family finally saw what I was talking about. My mom of course tried to butt in b/c she thinks you give kids whatever they want. Clark and I don't work that way. If we say no, we mean no. We don't just let you throw a fit and then us give in. NO WAY! I will put up with the crying before I start doing that. My sister and Kim just kept saying, "wow I never knew he really did this ALL the time." It is exhausting. At home not so bad b/c either he does it less or, probably more likely, it is just so much easier to ignore. Out in public, I hate it. I hate even more when complete strangers either try to give me advice or try and calm him down. It down right makes me angry b/c I just want to scream don't you think I have tried all that. I promise I know him better. We give him tons of positive praise. We have tried every discipline method. We will keep working on it. Interested to see how school goes. Again when he is good (aka not crying) he is the best. Funny too how he CAN'T stand for his brothers to cry. Landon got in trouble during the trip for something he did to Ryan and Landon started crying and Ryan was all over him saying, "Don't cry, it's OK, I'm fine, your fine, don't cry"....hugging him, kissing him, doing anything in his power to stop him from crying. He is always the first to try and make an unhappy person happy. If you need something, he gets it. When the trampoline floated far out and one of his brothers wanted it closer so they could jump on without getting wet, Ryan would be the one getting in and dragging it back closer to the dock. He is my most athletic. He has a good heart. I do love my Ryan and I know it might sound otherwise it is just that the way he acts is not 'the norm'. I think it is his norm but he has emotional issues. Issues that are not just b/c he is a triplet, the fifth child, a boy, etc etc etc. That seemed like a long tangent. But that was a big part of this trip so to leave it out would be to leave out a lot!!
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