Anyone who knows my children knows there could not be two more opposite boys in the universe. Really. This creates many delightful and stressful scenarios in our family dynamic (smile) and has sparked many nature vs. nurture discussions in our household. How can two small boys, raised by the same set of parents, in the best environment we know how to make for them~be so completely different? The nature of God is, once again, revealed in all of His almighty glory (another smile). Therein lies the answer. He created all of us so perfectly different. It is quite marvelous...
Here is an anecdote to illustrate this marvelousness. A few nights ago, I was cleaning up supper while Griffyn was still finishing up at the table. Any time I can get Griff to be still a few extra minutes is fine by me~~he was delving into the heart cakes we had made for Valentine's day and getting pink frosting and red sugar absolutely everywhere. He is quite gifted at mess making! Max had eaten quickly, bussed his dishes (as we say in this house), and went to go and get started on his reading 'homework'. He went to the quietest place he knows (our bedroom), snuggled under the covers, and began reading 'Don't Bump The Glump' by Shel Silverstien. As I was washing dishes and picking up the mess on the floor (peas roll everywhere on hardwood), I kept hearing the timer beep every few minutes (Max is responsible for keeping track of his reading minutes and a timer just makes this process easier on all of us). After several minutes of this, I was more than annoyed. I went into our bedroom and asked Max what the constant beeping was all about. Max looked up from his book and said to me, "Well, Mom, when I'm looking at the pictures of the make believe creatures, I'm not REALLY reading, so I stop the timer--or else that would be cheating--and then I start it up again when I'm done looking at the picture and start reading again." Bless his heart. So concerned with what is fair, honest, and just~~even when no one is watching. I melted. While I was whisked away to an imaginary land of my own of congratulatory parent pats on the back and basking in the bliss of feeling like a 'good mom', Griff started screaming for me from the kitchen...
Frosting smeared all over his cute little face (even in the crevices of his many dimples) and all over his third favorite Halloween shirt (he's still obsessed with the 'holiday'), red sugar stained lips and cake crumbs all over his hands and in his hair, my second little cherub says to me, "Mommy, I didn't det no tup take". Knowing full well what he said (Mom, I didn't get a cup cake--for those of you who don't speak Griffyn), I asked, "What?" very calmly. "I SADE, Mom, I DIDN'T DET NO TUP TAKE!". Not as calmy, I asked him, "Then what is that pink frosting all over your face?" He looks up at me with completely innocent eyes (he has the look MASTERED) and says, "I don't know", shrugging his shoulders and sighing heavily for added emphasis. Humbled in nanoseconds. Invisible pats on the back and all imagined accolades silenced.
And no, Griff did NOT get another cup cake and had to bear the fact that some invisible beast apparently ran away with the first one after smearing it's contents all over HIS face. I had to deal with the beeping every few minutes for almost an hour as Max would not believe me that it really was okay if he didn't stop the timer every single time he glanced at an illustration. It just didn't feel right to him.
So, there you have it~my yin and my yang. We coexist peacefully most of the time, but what would life be without the occasional (all right, let's just say 'daily') clash? Never a dull moment around here, that's for sure. And I love them both with all my heart and am so excited to see them discover and take on this big ole world~in their own separate ways, but hand in hand, as brothers who love each other with all of their hearts. That is something, regardless of thier differences, I know whey will always share...
