Thursday, September 18, 2014

Solving the World's Problems -- After School




So, I feel like I have to mark this afternoon in some way because The Brothers managed to get through a just-home-from-school hour without arguing about something or another. Oliver was busy making cookies for his friend who traded a few Dodgers Bobbleheads for them when Henry came in. Henry asked him to make extra, and Oliver told him there wasn't enough and they didn't come to blows, nor did Henry mock his brother's money-making expertise or Dodger fanaticism or Oliver his brother's lack of money-making abilities or alarming ability to "misplace" the money he has. Ahem. To his credit, Henry refrained from using his size and strength and poured himself a giant bowl of cereal while Oliver chattered incessantly, as he is wont, and continued to scoop the batter that he made himself.  I hovered in the hallway, the syringe of Sophie's cannabis oil in my hand, and overheard them discussing racism and what it means when you high-five someone and say Here's to being Jews! even when you're Jewish (Oliver thinks this is annoying and wonders what people would think if he said, Here's to being white! in a room that included black people). Henry said, You better be careful, dummy, and walked over to the cabinet, grabbed a bag of chocolate chips and started to eat them by the handful. That's just gross, Oliver said, and I commented on Henry's appetite as being similar to an animal's grazing. You're like some kind of beautiful zebra, Oliver stated as I moved down the hallway to give Sophie her medicine, and he wasn't talking about me. Henry came out of his room a little later and said quite solemnly to me, This ISIS stuff is so scary, Mom, and he lay his head on my shoulder, and I patted his back. What's happened now? Oliver shouted from the kitchen, and Henry said, Nothing, just the usual, and refrained from explicating because he knows how anxious and sensitive his brother can get.

It's sort of amazing what a day of temperate weather can do to the nerves around here. I'm on an even keel, too -- even after just overhearing Oliver shout we just need to cut their weiners off, and Henry, That's just dumb.

11 comments:

  1. This is like a slice of sweet life blueberry pie with just enough lemon juice in it to bring out the tartness.
    Oh, our children. My heart aches for them all.

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  2. Ms Moon has it right, sweetness!

    Honestly, when I read Henry's idea, my first impulse was to consider it as a viable solution. I haven't heard anything better.

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  3. What Mary said. They know too much and they know they are still kids with no power. Then they'll be adults one day and perhaps they'll be advocating for world peace with wide open hearts.

    XX Beth

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  4. This is brilliant. An absolutely incandescent moment that you have captured in all its truth and complexity and love. I adore this post.

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  5. I was thinking of you and yours. I would say what all of the above said plus a huge hug and a bigger smile. Your alabama lurker and fan...

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  6. The stages of life that your boys are in takes me back. How we hold them close, protect them a bit, how we want them to understand what is out there, what is going on. It's a high wire act sometimes. xoxox

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  7. Ahhh... so much better! Now, can you fix all the other things in my life that are bugging me? Please??

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  8. I love this. A slice of home life! And now I want cereal.

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  9. This fills me with sad longing for my kids when they were younger and we were still a family, but time marches on.

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  10. I'm with Henry...the ISIS stuff is scary. I go from reading and listening to the news to just shutting it out by only listening to music.

    Wishing I could hear the voices of my kids at home when they all were living here. The subjects that would come up ...listening and learning about them.

    And as to a handful of chocolate chips...yes

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