Free

A break in wintry weather gave us the chance to get outside and enjoy some fresh air. Big Brother has been able to come in and out as he pleases all winter, being a big kid who can zipper his jacket, adjust his ski pants and tie his own shoes. This spring he’s even become so conscious of how muddy his boots get when he’s out in the yard exploring. He’ll take them off right on the porch and leave them outside until the mud dries off. Man I love that kid, he found a way to make less work for his mom. Little Brother on the other hand couldn’t go out all winter. He just sadly watched Big Brother playing in the snow from the window.

Little Brother would get so worked up watching Big Brother outside that he’d climb the window sill and stand there banging on the windows. I moved one of our couches in front of the window hoping to distract Little Brother from the fact that he was stuck in the house. Well it didn’t work. He climbed the couch and stood on top of the very top screaming at his brother outside and banging on the window. I didn’t really get to bring Little Brother out to play in the snow until February when it wasn’t so freezing. He was walking pretty good by then so he found his way around the yard, venturing in any direction and squealing in delight. He’d look back at me and laugh, then attempt to stumble his way through snow.

This week was a big deal for Little Brother. The weather was finally nice and he had a play date at the park with my niece. Big Brother always makes friends with any kids he meets at the park. He doesn’t need a play date, he’ll be entertained for hours as long as kids keep showing up when a few leave. Last year Little Brother was too small, we just carried him around and the only attraction he could really enjoy was the swings. This time when we got to the park Little Brother couldn’t wait for me to put him down. His legs were already going in a running motion while I carried him from the car to the park. I set him down and he was off!

Big Brother stopped in mid run to look over at his baby. He couldn’t believe it, he was playing, climbing and sliding! It only took Little Brother about ten minutes to figure out that you go up those three little steps to get to the slide. Then it took him maybe another minute or two to figure out that his feet went down first. On his first he went stomach first. Then on the second try he went down on his knees because he didn’t quite get his legs out in front of him. The third time was the charm. I liked watching him figure it out himself. He was concentrating so hard. Staring at the stairs, looking that they went to the slide…Once he climbed up there and got to the slide he stood there and kept looking at his feet and then the slide.

My niece is a dainty little girl who didn’t want to step on the playground rocks or touch the rocks with her hands to stand up. She wanted to be carried around and put on the slides by my sister like a little princess. She really has that girly gene. She does not want to get her hands dirty or her shoes. The only thing she’d do herself was the tunnel, and the funny part was that was the cleanest, driest, rock free play thing at the park.

My boys spent a good three hours at the park. Big Brother was running around playing tag with his new friends almost the whole time. Little Brother was climbing up the steps on the littler version of the big kids climber. He was on a mission to get up those steps, to the slide and down the slide. He’d do the rock wall too because that lead to the same set of slides. He was determined and focused to master that. Forget about the swings, he couldn’t be bothered with the swings. It was actually perfect for Little Brother because he is a climber. He climbs anything. He climbs the chair to reach what’s on the table. He tried to climb the bookcase because I set the wipes out of his reach on there. He climbed my grandma’s entertainment center. In the few seconds from when he went around one corner at her house and I followed him and turned the corner myself he was on the top part of the entertainment center hanging on to the TV yelling. She now calls him the mountain goat. According to her no baby should be that fast.

I bet Little Brother is happy to be outside doing what his Big Brother is doing. While at the park, Big Brother told me he is happy because this means when he wants to go to a park we can all play. That I won’t be sitting on a park bench with Little Brother but following them both around. In Big Brother’s words, Little Brother is finally free.