Two Brothers...

While Wes is sleeping I thought I would take the time and reminisce with you for a bit.

June 15, 1986 - it was Father's Day, the day of the annual church picnic, but we couldn't make it that year because we were at the hospital with our new baby. I remember waking up the morning that Nicolas was born and I looked out of the window and it was pouring rain.

"Oh, oh. So, much for the church picnic!"

Sure enough the picnic was cancelled due to rain, but it was a great Father's Day for us, we had a son and we probably had more visitors because of that cancellation. It was a great day!

August 8, 1987 - thirteen and a half months later it was hot, really hot. I went into labour but we couldn't get to the hospital because it was a Saturday morning during the Harvest Festival weekend and the parade was happening. So, we waited patiently for the parade to end and then eventually made our way to the hospital entrance. A couple of hours later Mark made his grand entrance into the world. Another great day!

From the time they became acquainted they were friends. I always had to watch out when Mark was having his nap time because Nicolas would jump in the crib and join him. OK, not to sleep, but to visit. I would hear Nicolas talking a mile a minute to his baby brother and I peeked around the door to watch as he stood on the rails and chattered to his sleepy-eyed brother. It didn't take long and he wriggled his little feet onto the platform that held the mattress and that brought him high enough to swing his little leg over and plop into the crib beside Mark. I heard Mark giggle in response and Nicolas sat beside him completely content that he now had his brother's full attention.

"I'm not done my story yet Mom!"

"The Two Amigos"

The argument - The boys were in their room, this was when we were still living in our house trailer so the walls were paper thin, I could hear the beginnings of an argument. I don't remember what it was about, but we had always believed that we would let the boys work at settling their own disagreements within a reasonable amount of time and hopefully without bloodshed. And they very rarely got physical, except for this one time. They were about five or six years old. I heard the argument getting louder...

"You did too!" this was said quite loudly and with a lot of anger.

The answer came back quietly and calmly "I did not"

"Yes, you did!"

"No, I didn't"

"Yes, you were choking me!" a bit more wildly

and equally as calm came the response "No, if I had wanted to choke you I would have squeezed a lot harder."

OK, now how does a mother respond to that? Nicolas came walking out of the bedroom very nonchalant and made his way outside with Mark following close behind. They never even looked in my direction but just continued on their way. I could tell that Mark was still pretty ticked off about the whole thing, but not enough that he wouldn't follow his big brother outside and decide on a new game to play. I watched as they walked together in silence.

They walked to the swings and without a word they each took a swing and quietly sat down and began to pump their feet to get off the ground. Within a few minutes I heard them competing about who could go higher and not long after their laughter could be heard across the yard and it reached through the screen door and into the kitchen where I was working.

No one said that raising boys would be easy, but it has been extremely entertaining!

"Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble." 1 Peter 3:8