Category: Big Brother

Things That Can Be Stopped by the "Mom Glare"

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I’ve worked a long time to perfect the “Mom Glare:” that way of looking at your children that says to them, “If you don’t cut that out right now you’ll be grounded until you’re 45” without saying a single word.

And fortunately the Mom Glare works when my older children make plans like this:

“I bet that if we sit directly across from each other and use our forks as catapults, we could shoot dumplings right into each other’s bowls.”

But it’s going to be a long time before I make chicken and dumplings for dinner again.

He’s On To Me

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Big Brother just wandered over here asking me for a blank CD, which I handed over to him as I reminded him to say, “Thanks, Mom–you’re awesome.”

He went one better: “Thanks, Mom–you’re awesome, and you could definitely beat my Friend Who Rules at Video Games in Guitar Hero.”

Then he walked away saying, “That’s like the equivalent of a verbal Milky Way.”

Things Big Brothers Do

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…to torture Little Brothers and Adventure Boys.

They hide someplace, and call the house with their cell phones, and send the little boys on a wild goose chase to find him.

Only 4 weeks until school starts, and then Big Brother will be too busy for such pursuits.

The boys will be sad then. So I guess I’d better let them enjoy it now.

Anyone want to hire Big Brother for a summer job?

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He is sitting here on the couch with his big feet up, looking into the family room where Little Brother, Adventure Boy, and a boy from Little Brother’s class are all building things with Legos.

“I’m feeling lazy,” he remarked. “I think I’ll go get a little piece of candy, and then offer it to whoever can go get me a Dr. Pepper from the fridge.”

I just stared at him.

“Do YOU want the candy?” he offered.

A Little Advice

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From one mom to any others who might read this.

Never mention to your teenage son (who’s just earned his Shotgun Merit Badge at Boy Scout Camp) that you’ve found the mockingbird’s nest.

“PULL!” was his response, in case you’re wondering.

Fortunately, this house is free of non-Nerf firearms.

We speak different languages

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We are a three-guitar (and one organ, one keyboard and one banjo) household.

Big Brother is trying hard to teach himself electric guitar by downloading tablature from the internet. Since I have a 12-string Ovation, I generally only play “by the chords” so I can’t be much help to him.

Now he’s thinking about playing with the choir at church. I had offered to write out a few simple bass lines for him. But he wants me to write them in tabs, not notes. I read music; he doesn’t. So I don’t do tabs.

I tried what I thought was a brilliant parting shot: “I bet Andres Segovia doesn’t play by tabs!”

He didn’t know who Andres Segovia is.

“Only the Best Guitarist Of All Time,” I told him.

He disagreed.

“He is SO better than Jimi Hendrix,” I said.

“But what about Jimmy Page?” he countered.

We need to get Nintendo to put some Segovia into Guitar Hero. Maybe that would convince him.

Winning Isn’t Everything

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“I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved his appearing” (2 Tim. 4:7-8).

Yesterday Big Brother’s track team had a meet against a local rival. Big Brother told me last week, “To the captain of the team, this meet is the Super Bowl.” Both teams were undefeated in the local matches, going into this meet.

But Big Brother’s team was handicapped: one of the runners, the captain of the team who competes in at least 3 events per meet, was injured and would not be running. Everyone was sad for him, that he wouldn’t get that last chance to prove his strength against this other team, and for the whole team.

Big Brother was asked to run the 400m hurdles (1/4 mile) even though he has never done this in practice. (He ran the hurdles during one meet earlier this season). He doesn’t feel very confident about this event, since he has never had the chance to practice, but he agreed to do what was asked of him and he did the best he could.

Track & field is interesting in that it is uniquely an individual AND team sport. Each individual competes not only to defeat an opponent, but also to achieve a new “personal best.” In addition, points are awarded to the whole team for first-, second- and third-place finishes.

I was really impressed with the spirit and heart the team showed. They knew they were missing one of their key runners, but the whole team was in the stands, making noise, encouraging each other, and when they competed, they all tried their hardest. They didn’t win the meet but they have cause to be proud.

Can we say the same? Do we “fight the good fight” in everything that we do? Do we run our races with all our heart, all our energy, all our strength, with our eyes on the ultimate goal? And if we lost our race, can we do so with dignity, and with renewed resolve that next time we’ll do just a little better than our “personal best?”

Overheard at the Chinese Buffet

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“When you go to the Chinese Buffet, you have to eat fast and keep eating. Don’t slow down, or it’s all over. You’ll be too full to keep going.”

Normal Teenage Boy or Future Glutton of America? Good thing spring track is starting up, so he can run off all that General Tso’s Chicken he put away last night.

Happy Birthday, Big Brother

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Big Brother turned 16 today, which means I am halfway through with my first teenager. Today, Father H. told me that Big Brother is “an honorable young man,” which is high praise. So please indulge me in a moment of Mommy-Bragging. Big Brother is 3 school days away from achieving straight A’s for this quarter (that would be the first time ever that he’s done so). He’s a Life Scout, having been involved in Scouting since he was 6. And he’s hanging in there with the track team, even though he had to run 7 miles in hard rain yesterday and 6 in snow flurries today. His friends at school are good kids, good students, and involved in lots of activities. Middle Sister wants to follow him onto the track team (with his encouragement). Little Brother wants to follow him everywhere.

Big Brother is a big fan of apple pie, especially homemade apple pie. So this morning I was busily peeling two kinds of apples and putting together his requested birthday dessert.

Happy birthday, Big Brother! I hope you enjoy your birthday pie.

The Song in My Head

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This comes to you courtesy of Big Brother’s mythology teacher (yes, Big Brother is taking a mythology class at school. It’s really a neat curriculum she has designed.)

“Did you know that the real name of the ‘Can-Can’ is Orpheus in the Underworld?”

So, now it’s stuck in your head too, because I’m nice that way. Just spreading the agony sharing the joy.

I’m seriously hoping I get rid of this earworm before I head out to my Secular Franciscans meeting, since we’ll be having Adoration and Evening Prayer tonight and I’m leading the music.