The Joy of Brothers! :)

So the boys have recently been getting along really well and I was counting my blessings that there haven't been any HUGE fights or anything like that! It has been wonderful! They both have gone out of their way around here to help each other out and in fact as I write this, they are both sitting on the couch and Chris is trying to teach Daniel how to play MarioKart on the Wii.

As I am sitting here thinking about growing up with my own brood of brothers (I have four of them all younger than me...plus a little sister!) I have realized how much I miss them! Yeah we see each other now and then but we all live in different spots now and we all have our own lives and families to care for. I have brothers in Kansas City, Winfield, and St. Louis...my youngest brother is in college and so he is with my parents for the summer as is my sister.

For the longest time I just remembered the things that they did to me...like chasing me around, not listening when I was left in charge, fighting with them over the silliest of things and I had forgotten about all of the great times we had. Like sleeping in our dining room in the old house because we had a/c downstairs only...we never got to sleep when our parents wanted us to because we were too busy sneaking over to get toys to play with! Or swinging on the door handles in their room, making up our own games, playing outside in the summer time, chasing each other on our bikes through the blocks of our neighborhood in the city...all of those things that I treasure now and wish sometimes that we could go back to.

And as I sit here thinking about it I am hoping that my boys are building the same memories of each other that I have of my brothers and that Chris won't just remember that Daniel always wanted what he wanted and that Daniel doesn't only remember the time when Chris rode his scooter down the street and left Daniel in the dust on his tricycle. Or any of the other small things that happen when we are younger....

I hope they just remember the times like these when they are working together to accomplish something and to learn something new. I hope they are always close and that time and distance won't keep them apart. My two boys who are working together right at this moment to prepare their snack together...Chris talking to him so kindly and listening to everything Daniel has to say and gently (that's right folks...gently!!!!) correcting him if he does or says something a little off...Daniel looking up at his big brother with adoring eyes and working so hard to be like Chris and yet be himself....the smiles they share together now that they have accomplished their small yet important task. Love you my boys!!!!