Greg's brother, Kevin, stayed with us for a few days.
Jimmy bonded with his Uncle Kevin. Once when he was crying, Kevin and I were sitting on the couch, I opened my arms to Jimmy but he walked right past me and climbed onto Kevin's lap.
If Jimmy fussed Kevin scooped him up and carried him outside, all crying ceased. He took both boys outside every morning so I could shower and get ready.
Kevin and I took the boys to the beach. It was relaxing. Kevin did the usual beach stuff, burying Jimmy in the heavy sand, chasing Ray 1/2 mile down the beach because he never stops running... ever.
It was getting close to leaving time. A couple showed up and the woman started burying what I though was a spike for a beach umbrella in the sand. I thought it was strange that she was placing it in out direct path to the water from where we were sitting, and there was literally no one else around, so why there? Turns out it wasn't for an umbrella, it was a spike for not one, but two dog run lines for their pit bulls. The couple started playing catch and I watched the dogs getting really excited. The woman brought out a soccer ball because the dogs were interfering with their game of catch, they wouldn't release the football on their owner's command. Then I saw the dogs play fighting over the ball, clenching the entire ball in their mouths like they were biting into an enormous hoagie sandwich.
Did you know that my kids' heads are smaller than soccer balls?
Let's not even dwell on Jimmy's wandering habits.
Moving on.
The night Luke came we were sitting around our play room/living room chatting. Kevin and Luke were sitting in the play room. I watched as Ray left Greg's lap, dragged his little chair across the room so it was now facing the rest of us, to the right of Greg's brothers. Ray tugged on Greg's hand and said, "Daddy, come sit in the rocking chair," so Greg moved to the rocking chair sitting in the play room, closer to Kevin and Luke.
"Everybody, wait!" he insisted. He then walked and sat down in his chair.
"Okay. Now everybody, start talking."
He had arranged all of us, including himself, in a semi circle. He wanted to be a part of it all.
Ray: "Mommy, what's wrong?"
Me: "Ugh. I can't think."
Ray: "That's okay Mommy. I'll think for you."
Me: "Wonderful. I don't know what to make for breakfast."
Ray: "Oh I know! How about green eggs and ham?! Isn't that a great idea, Mommy?"
Me: "Yes, but the dishes are dirty. I have nothing to cook with."
Ray: "How about I help you with those dirty dishes?!"
Me: "That would be wonderful."
And it was. We ate eggs and bacon.
hidden piled in our bedroom was magically folded in a 30 minute span. They also got my kids to eat all their breakfast (normally impossible).
Luke: "Ray, you gotta eat your eggs."
Ray: ...
Luke: "If you don't eat your eggs you'll be like Uncle Kevin. If you do eat your eggs you'll be like your Uncle Luke."
Kevin: "What? Luke, are you trying to keep him from eating his eggs?!
Luke: "You don't want to get sunburned and turn all red like Uncle Kevin, do you? Eat your eggs and you can be tan and strong and ride a motorcycle like Uncle Luke."
Whatever works, right?
Just before Luke left, he wrestled with Ray. Wrestling morphed into tickling. Tickling into torture tickling. Then I hear Luke say, "Dude, did you pee on me? Is that pee? There's a spot of pee on my shirt!"
Mess with the bull, you get the horns, Uncle Luke.
Jimmy was asleep when Kevin left. He woke up and wandered around the house for a few days, looking for Kevin. His heart was hurting.
More on our vacay later.
I hope all of you reading this have a wonderful, smile filled day, wherever you are.
EDIT: Here's a text conversation I had with my sister-in-law, Anna, about this post.
Jimmy bonded with his Uncle Kevin. Once when he was crying, Kevin and I were sitting on the couch, I opened my arms to Jimmy but he walked right past me and climbed onto Kevin's lap.
It was getting close to leaving time. A couple showed up and the woman started burying what I though was a spike for a beach umbrella in the sand. I thought it was strange that she was placing it in out direct path to the water from where we were sitting, and there was literally no one else around, so why there? Turns out it wasn't for an umbrella, it was a spike for not one, but two dog run lines for their pit bulls. The couple started playing catch and I watched the dogs getting really excited. The woman brought out a soccer ball because the dogs were interfering with their game of catch, they wouldn't release the football on their owner's command. Then I saw the dogs play fighting over the ball, clenching the entire ball in their mouths like they were biting into an enormous hoagie sandwich.
Did you know that my kids' heads are smaller than soccer balls?
maybe next time we'll borrow Luke's helmet
We decided to pack up and leave before Ray asked to pet those dogs. Or go back in the water. Or run after seagulls. Or look for more seashells. Or do anything that involved proximity to the pit bulls.Let's not even dwell on Jimmy's wandering habits.
Moving on.
The night Luke came we were sitting around our play room/living room chatting. Kevin and Luke were sitting in the play room. I watched as Ray left Greg's lap, dragged his little chair across the room so it was now facing the rest of us, to the right of Greg's brothers. Ray tugged on Greg's hand and said, "Daddy, come sit in the rocking chair," so Greg moved to the rocking chair sitting in the play room, closer to Kevin and Luke.
"Everybody, wait!" he insisted. He then walked and sat down in his chair.
"Okay. Now everybody, start talking."
He had arranged all of us, including himself, in a semi circle. He wanted to be a part of it all.
Jimmy, uninterested, looking for Kevin who'd left for Augusta.
In confirmation of his "big kid-ness", the next morning went something like this. Ray: "Mommy, what's wrong?"
Me: "Ugh. I can't think."
Ray: "That's okay Mommy. I'll think for you."
Me: "Wonderful. I don't know what to make for breakfast."
Ray: "Oh I know! How about green eggs and ham?! Isn't that a great idea, Mommy?"
Me: "Yes, but the dishes are dirty. I have nothing to cook with."
Ray: "How about I help you with those dirty dishes?!"
Me: "That would be wonderful."
And it was. We ate eggs and bacon.
Ray figured out how to use the camera on my phone. Luke, Kevin and Jimmy.
Kevin and Luke cleaned A BUNCH... as in the week's five loads of laundry I'd Luke: "Ray, you gotta eat your eggs."
Ray: ...
Luke: "If you don't eat your eggs you'll be like Uncle Kevin. If you do eat your eggs you'll be like your Uncle Luke."
Kevin: "What? Luke, are you trying to keep him from eating his eggs?!
Luke: "You don't want to get sunburned and turn all red like Uncle Kevin, do you? Eat your eggs and you can be tan and strong and ride a motorcycle like Uncle Luke."
Whatever works, right?
Just before Luke left, he wrestled with Ray. Wrestling morphed into tickling. Tickling into torture tickling. Then I hear Luke say, "Dude, did you pee on me? Is that pee? There's a spot of pee on my shirt!"
Mess with the bull, you get the horns, Uncle Luke.
Jimmy was asleep when Kevin left. He woke up and wandered around the house for a few days, looking for Kevin. His heart was hurting.
Jimmy looking around for Kevin. Awwww.
Thanks you guys for getting us through the last few days of Greg's rotation. Greg was on vacation this past week and we were caught up on chores before it began, which made it very restful and peaceful.More on our vacay later.
I hope all of you reading this have a wonderful, smile filled day, wherever you are.
EDIT: Here's a text conversation I had with my sister-in-law, Anna, about this post.
I'll have to check it out..though I do think you are making my bros sound sweeter than they are 😉
Anna
•
Only because I left out all the farting
That's why it seemed surreal
Anna
•
Not only did the kids have a great time thanks to their uncles....but they helped clean! what lovely chaps indeed :) x
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