Sibling Rivalry: Snips snails puppy dog tails....

So, we are having an intense go-round with sibling rivalry in our house...again.

Every time we bring home a new child, we have a new mini wave of sibling rivalry. {Don't get all in a tizzy...wait for it.}
I mean, textbook stuff, right? Happens EVERY time.

The first time when we brought home my Booboo/Jon, two year old Chris watched him for a few days and then emphatically declared that he "should sleep in the trashcan."

When Hannah Banana came home on Halloween, it was a matter of days before the boys would run through the house, fingers in their ears as they rushed for cover for her decibals shouting, "Make her stop, Mom!"  (One word: colic.)

Then the two little girls came  home, within two weeks of each other, and we went from three to five almost overnight.  Hannah would try to push the two babes out of my lap and crawl in and the boys just took refuge in another room.

Anthony came home at three months old, and the sibling rivalry seemed less intense....he was an adorable three months old cutie with a naturally sunny disposition.

But then he became mobile.
The little girls have been squalling and fussing at him ever since and he has learned that it is the purest of sport to tease.

Gabey came home, this time Anthony had to sort out what he thought about this new little one.  On the one hand - he already was really good at wrestling and was an instant bosom buddy.  On the other hand, gosh, my lap (Tonio's turf, in  his mind) had gotten quite too crowded.

Then came Marta, the girls were (and still are at times) jealous of the time she takes demands needs from mom and dad, the boys are all just jealous of the same: time and attention - and with this new sib there is no getting around the needs or the jealousy in all directions (her too), it just bubbles up for them all at different times.

And now, we have Abby.
Yup.  But this time, the sibling rivalry is a pup.
Yup.  Pup.

And the rival is Gabey.
I suppose it's his turn.

I didn't expect it though, not only because well, he's my CHILD and the puppy is a erm, DOG.....
but rather, because Gabey is my dog whisperer, cat whisperer.   He's my most intuitive animal kid, by a long shot.  He is the only kid who can pick up my cat.  Ok, he still picks  her up like a sack of potatoes, but even so, she LETS him.  I'm the only other one who can pick her up (Outside cat, not wild but not as cuddly as the posters.) He bonds with our old Golden, resting draped over her as she rests, whispering secrets to her.

So, stupidly (I know, what was I thinking?), I thought he would carry that intuitive radar to a new dog.
Hmmm. Maybe,  maybe he would have if it was a new DOG.
But this is a puppy.

Which means a new baby in the house.

And Gabey-baby...he is jealous. Capital J.  Green eyed jealous.
Enchanted with the pup? Yup.

But also, so jealous of the cooing and ooing and "Oh cute!" that comes with a cute doofy little puppy.
So, while he wants to play and pet and touch and coo at the puppy, he kinda also wants to smash it and wrassle and teach this pup "who's got game. "
He is like a Gabey Godzilla to this tiny pup.

So I have to protect them both from each other.

Sibling rivalry.

I have to teach them both, once again (haven't I done this a hundred times?), that there is enough love and time and attention in this big ol' family for each member...no matter how furry, ill mannered, cute, housebroken, or not.  Here we go again.....

 {h/t to Jean who pegged it first}