Boys

There is a new phenomena in our house called Braeden and Mark.  They are six years apart and I have a feeling if they were closer in age, we wouldn't have any furniture still intact.

They've always wrestled, sort of roughly.  Even though Mark was always so much younger and littler, he is pretty stout and Braeden is fairly gentle so it has worked.

It's not working as well anymore.

They tease each other and then it escalates and then Mark hits Braeden (which is nothing new), but it hurts (which is something new) so seemingly without thinking, Braeden strikes back (which is also something new).


It reminds me of my brothers tearing into each other on the lawn until suddenly it would get serious.

Boys.

Braeden and Mark--five years ago.  They weren't the same height, Mark was up a few steps.

I'm sure there's some biological reason for it all but it seems rather mysterious to me.  Mark wanted to compare himself to the piece of wood Adam's dad created with all the markings of when Adam was measured while growing up.  Mark was almost the exact same height Adam was at twelve and a half.  Then Mark measured me against the stick.  I'm the same height as Adam was when he was fourteen and a half.  That thrilled Mark and he told me I should be embarrassed.

OK.

Then there was the evening Mark decided to try to pick up Braeden.  Then Braeden tried to pick up Adam.  Then Adam hoisted Braeden over his shoulder.  "How much do you weigh?" he asked Braeden.

"About 200 pounds," Braeden said.  (Can that be true?)

"I just lifted 200 pounds over my head," Adam boasted to his admiring sons.

Boys.

Then there's Mark being eleven.  Geri told me when Braeden was eleven that if I could let him live between the ages of eleven and fifteen, I could do anything.

The other night Mark was purposely annoying Braeden.  Braeden would ask him to stop and Mark would give him a sideways look and keep right on annoying him.

Because he's eleven.

Braeden got mad and I intervened before things got too intense.

I sent Mark upstairs and I explained to Braeden that Mark is eleven.  I said, "Once you were eleven and I let you live, so now you need to pay it forward."