I am so glad I am the oldest kid.

I am ten years old, but I know a lot more things than my brothers (I have three of them).  For one thing, I can write my name and read a book from cover to cover without getting bored.  

Another thing is that I can talk and actually make sense whenever I am talking with other people.  I can tell people about a trip we went on, or how things went on at church, or what I did with my friends.  My poor brothers, meanwhile, are only learning how to say a few words and are just discovering the world around them: they don't know a lot of things just yet.

My brothers are only 3, 2, and six months.  Merely babies (well, two are toddlers; one is an ACTUAL baby).  

I don't have to hang around at home with mom all day and wait for her to change my diapers, give me a bottle (or a sippy cup if older), or feed me nasty, tasteless baby food out of a jar, or dress me.  I don't have to have mom picking up after me all the time (do a pretty good job of that myself), or having relatives pinch my chubby cheeks or gush all over me as if I were a prize-winning dog or something.

I am glad I go to school.  I don't have to listen to my brothers cry or whine all the time or worry about them getting into my things when I'm around (they do that as well; it drives me bat-crazy!!).  I can pal around with my friends at lunch and learn all about the world around us.  I don't like the homework aspect of school, but school, in itself is quite good this year.  I have a great set of teachers.

I can plan my day ahead of time and decide where we can go for vacation (as long as it's reasonable with my parents).  My brothers, on the other hand, have to rely on mom and dad to get their day going and every day is just about the same for them.  I mean, if you've seen one kiddie show on PBS, you've more than likely seen them all, and the Cookie Monster, Elmo, Big Bird, and company grate on the nerves after a while.

Give me something more like "SpongeBob Squarepants".  Now THAT is funny!!  LOL  I absolutely LOVE "SpongeBob Squarepants"!!

While my brothers don't know anything about numbers or how to tell a story by themselves, I can write a book (and I did, last year; our class had to write our own books; the best ones got published), draw a picture with a lot of detail, assemble model cars or airplanes, tell the difference between one car (or airplane) from another, and sing along to my favorite songs, be it on the radio or at church.

I have a very good life.  Good friends, good grades, a great school, a relationship with God, a wonderful church family, lots of interests to choose from to make my life varied and exciting, and life experiences that will last me a lifetime.  

Being the oldest kid is everything I imagined it would be ... and a lot more.  The only thing is this: RESPONSIBILITY.  I have to be a good example to my little brothers so they can look up to me.  I have a lot more chores than they do and sometimes it gets old, but I know I have to do them, so I try to, without complaining.  (NOT easy at times!)  I also have to behave and know when to 'fess up wheneever I screw up.

I just hope that my brothers have a good life too when they get big like me.  That is all I would want for them.  Then we can all have adventures toether and I can teach them and be a good friend to them.