real life conversation...about brotherhood

the scene:  while sitting at the breakfast bar eating a snack; out of the blue.


graham: life is so disappointing.

me: (chuckling) really? why is life so disappointing?

graham: always having to take care of my older brother.

me: (no longer chuckling)

the bible says "how good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity."

lately i question the balance between the good and the pleasant...

the things that don't feel good nor pleasant...

and the unity that can be found between the two. 

graham truly has been gifted with the unique ability to read a situation and adjust it to meet harrison's needs. this intuitiveness is special and will serve him well his whole life long. 

conversely, graham has become harrison's guide - looking out for, standing up for, speaking on behalf of, leading the way for, a comforting sidekick - starting when he was very little (younger than two). a job he took on himself and one i, admittedly, placed him in a few times too many. 

what does a mother do when her son expresses discouragement that his gift has become a burden?

 schedule counseling appointments then write a blog post, of course. :)

 ponder it; put the question out into the universe and pray for an answer. 

 sit with him in life's disappointment. 

 teach him to think on the positive aspects of his relationship with his brother. 

show him unity isn't a treasure to be found...

it is beauty we must create.

a real life conversation

me: you have rockstar hair, bud.

g: that's what i'm gonna do when i grow up.

me: what? be a hairstylist or a rockstar?

g: no, just be a regular man. no job. no college.  then i'll have my hair like this and walk around.

me: then what will happen?

g: maybe a girl will see me and walk up to me.

me: then what?

g: she might ask to be my girlfriend.

me: what will you say?

g: no. but maybe if she begs me too much i will say yes.

me: but what are you going to do for money?

g: i'm not going to have any money. i'm just gonna play video games.

me: and that's it?

g: yeah.

a real life conversation about father's day

the scene: sitting in the living room, trying to figure out what to get daddy for father's day.


me: okay, graham, you need to make a father's day gift for daddy.

graham: no i don't.

me: you don't?

graham: no. because do you remember a long time ago when i was born?

me: mmm hmm.

graham: yeah, so when i was born i was a gift. so i don't have to make him a gift because i'm already his gift.

you are everyone's gift, sweet boy.

you're also pretty knowledgable about how to get out of work...and definitely not lacking in self-esteem...i couldn't love you more.

a few things that just might warm your heart on this freezing cold morning

because it's thursday and because it's cold and because i'm cranky (being cold is making me really, really cranky) and because i need a laugh and because i thought you might need a little chuckle too...

here a few things this little mister has said or done recently that have made me smile...

graham on christmas morning, sporting his new swim goggles and aiming his new marshmallow shooter at me.

1) the other day i woke graham up from a nap. he yawned and stretched and looked up at me with dreamy eyes. i said "hi sweet boy. i love you. do you want to come downstairs and snuggle with me?" and he responded not with a declaration of his unending love for me but by saying "can i have some doritos?"

i love you. can i have some doritos. same thing.


2) two days ago after school harrison was acting quite grumpy (maybe the cold was making him cranky too?). he stomped up the stairs to his bedroom and played up there alone for a while. graham and i were playing a rousing game of candyland in the living room. i loudly said "i wonder what harrison is doing?" in an attempt to get harrison to respond and reconnect with us, to which graham said "oh he's just upstairs snouting." 

snouting. pouting. same thing.

graham occupying himself at the furniture store while i was selecting a couch for the condo. 

3) yesterday while he was trying unsuccessfully to make a pillow fort (the pillows kept falling over) he came over to me and asked, "mommy, can you help me get switcherated?"

switcherated. situated. same thing.

graham occupying himself while waiting for his turn to be fitted for new skis and boots.

last but not least...


4) the other day graham went potty and came out of the bathroom without washing his hands. i told him "go wash your hands with soap and water." graham sighed, turned around, walked back to the bathroom, closed and locked the door and then i heard "shhhhhhhhhhh. glug glug glug. shhhhhhhhh. gurgle gurgle."

soap and water. making soap and water NOISES with your mouth. same thing.



happy thursday, friends!

a birthday tribute to graham

graham's fifth birthday was in november and we happened to be out of town so i never wrote a special birthday post for him. i did manage, though, to take some photos of him in front of his birthday banner. the following photographic representation should tell you everything you need to know about my sweet grahamer-boy - that he's a stinker.

the photos are in order exactly as i snapped them. it is not at all lost on me that the silly photos are much more in focus than the sweet. i tried so hard to get one in-focus smile...but this guy has been a mover and a shaker since he was but a fetus. i can barely keep up!

but first, here is a link to a video of graham i posted on youtube. it is one of my all time favorite moments with him and it so perfectly captures his awesome personality. if that 20-month-old cutie-patootie doesn't make you smile, i don't know what could.

graham
i was sure as sure can be about you when you were born
but then you threw me for a loop by crying non-stop for four and a half months
which i will never forget
and i will never let you forget
because it's just how you role
the grumpies always come before the smiles
the sillies always come before the sweets
i became sure about you again when you were five months old
sure that you would be my sunshine and my happiness and my everything hilarious
you keep me in stitches
you keep me on my toes
you keep the smile on my face and the joy in my heart and the adventure in my life
you are your own good time
you are everyone's good time
you are the life of the party and the light of our lives
you take great pleasure in bringing us laughter
it is your gift to give
and you are quite generous
to say i love you would not be enough
my heart giggles with gleeful bubbles that are full of love, love, love for you