Apparently, to these guys, this was the acme of insult today.
Adventure Boy: “I don’t get every one thing I want. That’s being spoiled!”
Little Brother: “You’re spoiled!”
Adventure Boy (triumphantly): “Your face is spoiled! Burrrrrrrrrrrrn!”
Category: Adventure Boy
Beetles and Orchids
Like Barbara, I am not much of a flowers person.
Must go with the name.
But yesterday morning, when I was heading outside to put my guitar, my music bag, and the amplifier and electric bass that Big Brother is borrowing into the car so we’d be ready to leave for church, I found a little box sitting next to the front door.
A pink paper was sticking out of it.
The box contained an orchid corsage, and the paper was a homemade card featuring a colorful flower and Herbie “The Love Bug” and signed “Sincerely Adventure Boy your god son.”
Adventure Boy thinks that Herbie is the coolest EVER. He’s been Herbie for Halloween, and his cars in the last two Pinewood Derbies have both been Herbie variations. So it’s no surprise that Herbie was featured on my card.
I’m not a flowers person, but I proudly wore that corsage to Mass and to the diner afterward, because it was so sweet of Adventure Boy, my godson, to tiptoe over here early in the morning and leave it for me. I think the real treasure is the card, though.
Adventure Boy, the Franciscan
Adventure Boy, Little Brother and two other Boys From Down the Street are playing outside. One of the boys was smacking at a spider on the swingset.
“Stop killing bugs,” Adventure Boy instructed him. “Those are not your bugs. Those are God’s nature.”
A New One on Me
Adventure Boy is here, and he and Little Brother are playing Nerf basketball, as it’s too rainy to play basketball outside. It’s getting dark in the family room.
“Why don’t you guys turn on the light?” I suggested.
“We don’t need to,” Little Brother told me.
Adventure Boy chimed in, “We’re blind mice!”
It’s Snowing!
…and raining. And it’s just warm enough that all the snow melts as soon as it hits anything. But it’s pretty outside. Pretty wet, too.
Once Little Brother and Adventure Boy discovered it was snowing, they had to go right out. They’re trying to play basketball out there in the snow and rain.
Of course, if it weren’t snowing, they wouldn’t be outside. You couldn’t pay them to be outside.
My sentiments exactly
Little Brother is wearing his favorite (and almost worn-out) green T-shirt. It has a shamrock on it and says “IRISH” in big letters.
Adventure Boy just noticed this, and asked Little Brother, “Are you Irish?”
Little Brother said yes. (He’s half right.)
“Wow,” replied Adventure Boy. “You’re lucky.”
It’s Starting Already
Adventure Boy has two more full weeks of school, but that’s not stopping him.
Tonight he rang the doorbell here at 8 PM, looking to play with Little Brother. His older sister was with him.
First-graders should not be looking for playmates at 8 PM! They should be at home, getting their showers and putting on pajamas and brushing teeth and reading a little before bed.
And I suspect that the adults in charge of Adventure Boy are well aware of this, but it’s easier for them to let him come up here and have me tell him that it’s time for him to be heading home, rather than have to fight that battle themselves. (They’ve admitted as much to me in the past, on numerous occasions.) I’m tired of having to be the grownup for this little boy.
He needs prayers, and so do his grownups. I guess I’m one of his grownups, so I’d appreciate some too.
Gratitude
That’s what I’m feeling right now–for my mp3 player.
Little Brother and Adventure Boy are here, with their toy guitars, practicing for their “band.” Adventure Boy just offered to teach Little Brother a song from “Nacho Libre.”
Thank God for noise-reducing earbuds.
We’re Having a Heat Wave
It was over 90 degrees today for the third day in a row. It’s April–in New Jersey. What’s up with the tropical weather?
It’s so hot, I’m wearing shorts. The temperature has to have a 9 in the front before I will do that.
But one person who is not wearing shorts is Adventure Boy. He’s dressed in his full Indiana Jones Halloween Costume regalia–complete with hat. It’s a dark brown outfit, just perfect for playing outside in 90-degree heat.
Adventure Boy is completely obsessed with Indiana Jones. He was over the moon when he learned that Indiana had been a Boy Scout–just like him! He gets the biggest grin on his face when I call him “Indiana Jones” instead of his real name.
So can someone please find a way for me to convince this child that it’s OK for Indiana Jones to wear shorts?
Think Fast(er)
The Tiger Cub Scouts (Little Brother and Adventure Boy) are working on their Chess belt-loop tonight. Adventure Boy thinks he’s going to win the game, and he wants to hurry things along.
TheDad reminds him, “In chess, it’s OK to take some time to think.”
“THINK!” he shouts at Little Brother.