Just me & you

Big Brother has been a pretty awesome older brother. He deals with being annoyed by Godzilla wrecking his cars. Having to “wait a minute” countless times while I rush to change a diaper or feed Little Brother. He turns the TV up when Little Brother cries or is in a shrieking mood. He doesn’t even get mad when Little Brother gets hold of his hair or scratches his face. He never complains unless the baby really got him good, you know like in the eye.

I don’t get to have much alone time with my first baby. In the morning I usually feed the baby while daddy gets Big Brother off to school. When Big Brother gets home from school both his mother and his brother greet him. It’s not just mommy anymore. Everyday he hugs Little Brother. They smile at each other and let out a giggle. Big Brother says, “Ohh he missed me. Awww”. I stand by and wait for my hug because it seems like they wait all day to see each other again. Then Big Brother gives me a hug. I think to myself, “Awww he missed me.” Because I waited all day to see him again.

Little Brother is quite skilled at getting hold of Big Brother’s important papers. One day he stuffed a homework page in his mouth while we all sat within arm’s length. Big Brother got really upset. He thought he would get in trouble. Even when we joked, “Most kids blame the dog for eating their homework, you can say it was your brother” he didn’t think it was funny. I smoothed out the page and let it dry on the counter. When it was dry I taped it back together as best I could. It looked good as new minus the corner we fished out of the baby’s mouth. Only then did Big Brother think it was funny. Really funny because now when Big Brother gets homework he points his finger at the baby and says, “Now don’t eat it, I have to bring it back.”

Before and during mealtimes my time is split between the boys. Big Brother usually entertains himself with cartoons or cars while I cook. I try to talk with my big boy now that he seems all grown up with his own plans. Sometimes I get lucky and he wants to help whisk the cookie batter or test vegetables for me. Then I get him by my side and I can enjoy his company. Big Brother is like an old friend. He has a great sense of humor and when he wants to be is really sweet. Little brother wants to be walked around now. He refuses to go in his walker anymore so Big Brother might come in the kitchen now and then to “walk” his brother out of the way. We have all fallen victim to this endless walk me game. Little Brother wants anyone to hold his hands and walk him around the house. My back will get sore from being hunched over so I’ll sit him down. It doesn’t go over well because we all hear a loud yell and then a baby version of a fit ensues. He’ll throw his head back and scream. Little Brother will trick you by crawling over to you smiling. He’ll climb up your legs to hold your hands. Once you grab his hands to steady him. That’s when he has you in his little trap. Walk him or be screamed at. Big Brother just turns the TV up then if he has a show on.

I spoon feed one at dinner and am thankful the other can feed himself. I admire it, that both kids know what foods they like. That Big Brother can get his own juice and pour it. That’s huge because even when he could before he would insist mommy does it. It used to be just Big Brother and me at the table. We would talk about his day. What he wants to do. Where his school bus drives. Now I find myself distracted by pureed carrots and what’s falling on the floor. Big Brother and I have continued our talks now after supper. I can tell that once in awhile Big Brother wants me all to himself. That is when he asks if only I can come read to him. Or only I sit with him.

Big Brother was given a gift card and couldn’t wait to use it. He persistently asked me over and over to go to Wal-Mart when he got it. When I said “Oh it’s too late” His reply was, “It’s open 24 hours mom. It doesn’t close”. We were on our way to Massena when I had an idea. I would drop Little Brother off at my mom’s house while I took Big Brother to Wal-Mart. I wanted him to take his time and not hear, “Come on, hurry up the baby has to be changed.” Or “we better go I need to feed him” I wanted Big Brother to really take his time picking out what he wanted because it was his gift card. He had his very own currency. It took him over an hour to pick something out. He would get one toy but put it back or trade it for another. Then he’d go back and forth between the same three. Finally he chose moon sand. I personally cannot stand the stuff. I bought it one year for Christmas and vacuumed it up for what felt like forever. I wouldn’t see it on the carpet but would find it in the canister. It just would no go away. I want to tell him it was poisonous. That we couldn’t possibly buy that it’s evil. I didn’t have the heart to. It was his special pick. On the way to the cash register he sounded like a pitchman in an infomercial. “It never dries out mom! If I don’t put it away it’s still good. My play dough dries out. But NOT MOONSAND!”

By the time Big Brother and I had picked up Little Brother, gotten McDonald’s and drove home it was late. He fell asleep on the ride home clutching the box of moonsand. He never woke up until the next morning for school. He snuggled with me and told me, “I liked it last night mom. Remember it was just you and me? I liked that. You didn’t say hurry hurry”