Brotherly Love

"He's touching me!"

"No I'm not."

"HE touched me again!"

"Just a wittle bit."

This is the type of conversations we have at this house a lot.

Tonight as I was tucking my 2 middle hooligans into bed, I sensed impending disaster.

I had read both a story, kissed them, hugged them, sung them a song and said goodnight. They

were both in my bed because Mr Smiles has come down whatever ailed Naters two weeks ago and can't be far from the bathroom.

Why was Good Lookin' there as well you ask? Well, simply put, I was too tired after his shenanigans today to fight him into going to sleep by himself downstairs in his own room. (That and I never liked to go to sleep by myself without my sister when I was younger). Our basement is not dark and scary unless it's nighttime and daddy is at work and mommy and brothers are all upstairs together. Then it is very scary!

Needless to say, they were both tucked in together in my bed and I planned on moving them when Luke got home from work. Planned on moving them was the plan. They got moved far sooner than when daddy got home.

No sooner had I left the room when the wail of the mortally wounded made it's way down the hall and to my already done-in ears. I sighed. Jessica and I had planned a girls night and it was fast fading away. She made me promise not to kill them or that my other 3 might end up in her care at the Shelter where she works. I swore the solemn vow and trudged down the hall.

"He punched me in the stomach!" sobbed an angry and slightly guilty-looking Good Lookin'.

Mr. Smiles had an angry-yet-satisfied pout on his face. " I told him to leave me alone, but he didn't. He started it!

I totally believed him.

Good Lookin' has all the energy of a wildcat and the personality to go with it. He is funny. He is aggravating. He brings tears to my eyes in so many different ways that I didn't think was possible for one child.

Yesterday he was trying to teach his un-suspecting 1-year-old brother how to stuff rocks into our dog's mouth because "if I do it, she'll bite me." Let's throw the baby in front of the train why don't we! Naters had already learned that the dog doesn't like her face stuffed full of rocks and was having none of the brotherly instruction.

Where does this kid get his ideas?! Where does the energy come from?

He is easy to read---emotions are ALL out there and we are trying to teach him the art of self-control, but it is so hard when you are boarder-line losing it yourself!!! I'm either near the insanity-I-want-to-send-you-back point or the I'm-going-to-split-a-gut-from-trying-not-to-laugh at his latest prank or stunt.

He knows each and every siblings buttons and how to push them. He's known them since he could walk! Oh Lord, give me guidance and wisdom in raising this child because whatever he is going to be, he's going to be that 150% of the time.