Christmas is sparkling over the horizon. Littlest grandson has been here a whole year: a big brother, we say to his big brother: you have been a big brother for a whole year - do you remember when your little brother was born- what do you remember?
This is a ridiculous question to pose a usurped four year old.
‘He bought me a present.’ (Rolls eyes, seems to be wondering how we could have forgotten this, the main part of the tale.)
We watch Home Alone and lose at balloon baseball and so are forgiven.
The little brother laughs. He has cheese and crackers, teeth, and the new art of walking. Presents are peripheral things.
At bed time, the littlest cuddles in his cot; the big brother wants a story. Granma tells him Ronko the Rude Clown, while Grandad smirks on the stairs.
Of all the reading gigs, the bedtime audience is the most intense. One pair of eyes shining in delighted disgust as Ronko gets his stinky karma! One imagination sparked: the sparks seem visible.
‘Tell me again,’ he says, but he needs his strength for rugby tomorrow and is persuaded to rest.
Granma tiptoes down the stairs, to the front room, where birthday tributes are tidied up.
Toys are fun, admittedly. Bought or made or improvised: all fun.
Big or little, we find them fun, admittedly; for example, everyone enjoyed the bubbles from the plastic whale bath toy.
There’s a but, a caveat, a further thought; which is obvious but it still seems to need this linking sentence to get the pacing right.
Time and words, what do they cost?
This is a ridiculous question to pose a usurped four year old.
‘He bought me a present.’ (Rolls eyes, seems to be wondering how we could have forgotten this, the main part of the tale.)
We watch Home Alone and lose at balloon baseball and so are forgiven.
The little brother laughs. He has cheese and crackers, teeth, and the new art of walking. Presents are peripheral things.
At bed time, the littlest cuddles in his cot; the big brother wants a story. Granma tells him Ronko the Rude Clown, while Grandad smirks on the stairs.
Of all the reading gigs, the bedtime audience is the most intense. One pair of eyes shining in delighted disgust as Ronko gets his stinky karma! One imagination sparked: the sparks seem visible.
‘Tell me again,’ he says, but he needs his strength for rugby tomorrow and is persuaded to rest.
Granma tiptoes down the stairs, to the front room, where birthday tributes are tidied up.
Toys are fun, admittedly. Bought or made or improvised: all fun.
Big or little, we find them fun, admittedly; for example, everyone enjoyed the bubbles from the plastic whale bath toy.
There’s a but, a caveat, a further thought; which is obvious but it still seems to need this linking sentence to get the pacing right.
Time and words, what do they cost?
Nothing, to what they are worth.
One day, big brother, you will remember your little side kick appearing and all the days that followed. You will say to him things like ‘do you remember’ and he will be the one who knows.
One day, big brother, you will remember your little side kick appearing and all the days that followed. You will say to him things like ‘do you remember’ and he will be the one who knows.
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