I love to photograph my boys. But asking a little boy to hold still for more than 2.5 seconds is akin to torture. Boys know that the Lord did not intend for them to stop and breathe. It took Momma a little longer to figure that out.
But lucky for me, my camera and I happened upon a great opportunity. . . the unfortunate lot of the younger sibling. . .
Miss Firecracker’s Birthday was at the beginning of the month.
Ah, sweet eldest, obedient child–at least for the moment–always OK with Mom and Dad’s attempts at a homemade cake.
Perhaps my favorite part of every birthday . . . the sibling torture!
There are four seasons in California: floods, earthquakes, fires, and riots.
Don’t believe me?
The Mister and Miss Firecracker came across this out in the middle of nowhere when they went camping a few weeks ago.
What?!
I’ve mentioned before that I’m short. And my dear sweet boys are at that wonderful age where there’s just no way around it, . . . I’ve passed on my vertically challenged issues to them.
Of course, in a few years, the Mister’s genes will probably kick in and change all of this. But in the meantime, they handle themselves just fine.
They still make sure they get what they want,. . . (more…)
The Mister brought the munchkins by to see Baby yesterday. This was, needless to say, one of those moments that as a mother you hold your breath a little, wondering how this new addition and change to the family will be taken. The judges’ responses were varied but overall, I think Baby passed for the day.
Miss Firecracker: Bought Baby a present a few weeks ago with her own money, she brought it wrapped in a pretty bag. When she saw him for the first time her eyes got big and she asked to hold him, although she was a bit nervous. She brought her camera and proceeded to take pictures of him from all angles.
Mr. Skywalker: He has probably been the most excited to meet Baby. But first he was quite interested to see the status of my tummy now that the baby was out. He commented that it was still a basketball but I suggested that maybe it was more like a tennis ball at this point. “Nah, . . . a basketball.”
He could not stop hopping around the bassinet and commenting on Baby’s features. He was instantly enamored and tapped on the glass of the bassinet, hoping to get Baby to wake up and look at him. He held Baby first, albeit he was a bit nervous when it came down to it. And by the end of the visit he simply declared, “hmmm, I’m ready to go.”
Little Big Man: Had the most perplexed look I’ve ever seen on his face in his four years of life until I reassured him that everything is alright. He then proceeded to check everything out in the entire room that was within arm’s reach. When he finished that he moved to climbing all over The Mister for ten minutes. At the end, he promptly declared he wanted to leave and stayed by the door until they all did so. During the visit when Miss Firecracker and Mr. Skywalker asked if they could hold Baby, Little Big Man declared loud and clear “I do NOT want to hold it!”
Mr. Skywalker and Little Big Man have a very good and very typical brother relationship. They are two years apart, Mr. Skywalker the elder, but because of similar sizes I’m often asked if they’re twins. Mr. Skywalker has straight dirty blond hair that would befit a surfer and Little Big Man has a thick brown bush that sticks up in the most hilarious directions every morning–if I ever need a good chuckle I just try to catch a glimpse of his hair before the Mister flattens down.
Little Big Man is very stubborn and independent. And, because he’s only four—and a four-year-old and independence don’t always come up with the safest/soundest ideas—he frequently gets frustrated. Such was the case when he got a nice shiner the other day. He and Mr. Skywalker and Miss Firecracker were happily playing a game of Uno, one of Miss Firecracker’s Christmas presents. Apparently he felt Miss Firecracker was changing the rules at whim—of course an oldest child would never do such a thing—and he decided to take action. Unfortunately, his idea of taking action is anything learned from those wonderfully child friendly role models known as Power Rangers.
Rather than waste time with negotiations and general queries, he made his best effort to karate chop Miss Firecracker. He may have made it out of the room and gotten away with it all, but for one vital mistake . . . he forgot that Mr. Skywalker has watched the same show.
Seeing Miss Firecracker in tears, Mr. Skywalker assumed his role as elder brother and tossed Little Big Man, to the ground. Thus came the collision with the face and the Playmobil pirate ship. The result was a very impressive black eye.
Where, might you ask, was their mother during all this?! Ten feet away in the kitchen making breakfast. And if you think it’s possible to cross ten feet in the time it takes for two boys, ½ a karate chop and one good shove to all occur in the next room, think again.
This is the second black eye Mr. Skywalker has dealt to Little Big Man. I cannot remember the cause behind the first – - my mother-memory has mercifully erased the details from my mind. Nevertheless, it is moments like this when I ask the Mister if he ever did such things to his younger brothers as a child. He always shakes his head in disbelief, his voice adamant, “Never.” He is the perfect husband, yet still, I can’t help but question his memory.
