Sunday, August 3, 2008

Signs of Brotherly Love?

Signs of brotherly love can resemble anything from a hug, to a shove, to an act of sharing, and many other things. The boys do actually get along very well. Sometimes I'm amazed at just how thoughtful they can be. Then, there's the other side of brotherly love - those things they just do to each other as most kids do, that I just don't know how often to intervene. Leyton has been showing this most lately.
Example:
Background: Leyton & Nathaniel are running or riding their bikes for a while, Jacob & Leah are in the stroller as we walk around the block. All the boys now decide they want to run. Jacob desperately wants to be in the front at all times - hard to guess where this is going?

Crisis coming: Well, the big boys are obviously faster at these ages and Jacob gets devastated easily given he can't keep up along with the fact that it's about 90 degrees and they're already tired from the day anyway. So, he screams, and screams..."I want to be first, I want to be first."

Resolution (if there is one): Leyton stops running and says, "OK, you can be first." Wow, can it be this easy? I think, oh what a sweet boy. Jacob takes off running to get ahead. Just as he catches up, I am about to say, "Leyton, how swee-" Then Leyton turns to run again to get back in front.

Crisis returns: Jacob stops again and resumes screaming at the top of his lungs & crying. "I want to be first."

Resolution: (see resolution above, then repeat crisis...repeat, repeat)

Ugh. No easy way to win this one for anyone! Just chalk it up to brotherhood I guess. It reminds me of when I was a kid & Lissy & I walked home from school with Uncle Todd - long story with details of dirty bobby socks, being in 2nd grade & carrying an 8th grade uncle's bookbag home, having to race the whole way to set a new record, eating A LOT of plain ketchup to avoid wasting food, etc., etc.

1 comment:

Melissa said...

I just told my kids about the ketchup again this week!