The Big Life

Life with Big can be pretty entertaining. Along with trying. Thank heavens for the entertaining. 


Big: "I would love to play slam ball with you someday, Mom" (what a compliment!)


Me: "You would?? That's so nice! I'm totally going to beat you, you know."


Big: "It's not about beating, Mom, ..."


Me: "You're right. It's about having fun. And being a good sport."


Big: "....it's about winning. And I'm totally going to school you!"


He then began to make plans for how we could create a slam ball court in our backyard. Piece of cake with a backhoe, apparently.


I took the 3 youngest kids to the doctor for their well-child visits last week. Big was pleasant and charming, adorable even, for the whole appointment. Until it came time for his Kindergarten shots, that is. Holding him down was a task and he clearly felt betrayed. 


After it was all said and done, he just stood in the middle of the room bawling while I assisted the nurse with Edith's shots. I got Edith dressed and began to talk to Big to try to reassure him. As I spoke he suddenly flexed his muscles pitifully, making a weak sound of effort, "Uuuhhh." He then cried out despairingly, "Oh, no, Mom! I've lost my strength!" He began crying anew at his terrible discovery. A sobbing and wailing Big started inching toward me at the speed of a sloth, "And I can't walk!" It was going to be a loooong trip out to the car. 


Thank heavens a little medicine and basketball did wonders to get him over the trauma. 


I had to crack up tonight when Big decided to brush his teeth naked. Dancing. A fully pajamaed Bud, who was supposed to be sharing the sink to brush his own teeth, was a little disconcerted by the whole thing. Obviously not wanting to get too close he asked, "Ummm.. why is he brushing his teeth naked?" And then with disbelief and maybe a little disgust, "He has toothpaste on his stomach!" Big kept dancing the whole time, completely unconcerned by the distress he might have been causing his more fastidious brother. I mean, Bud has dirt under his fingernails (a lot), but brushing his teeth naked is probably farther than he wants to take things.

Oh, and I didn't notice until after I got a semi-usable photo how much water he was wasting. We'll have a talk about that tomorrow. Keep being you, Big! I love you.