Brotherly Love

Q. Shenaynay

Well, it's February, and love is in the air -- which apparently means it's that time of year when little boys get crushes on their big sisters. Now this is just about the cutest thing ever.

Spuddy has got Valentines on the brain. All he could think about this morning was making lovey cards for his sisters, and planning when Daddy can take him to buy them big red hearts full of chocolate. He's got it bad.

First thing this morning, in the middle of a rather restless phonics lesson, he blurted out,
"Mamadah, pleeeease excuse me for a second."
Why? asked the Mamadah.
"I neeeed to go kiss Sister."
Again: why?
Big swoony grin.
"I like kissing her."

Hey, you ask an obvious question, you get an obvious answer.

So he went galloping down the hall to find Fa on her bed, wrapped up in her blankie and reading her Bible. He pounced on her, gave her three big puckery smooches right on the smacker, then fell back on the bed giggling, all goosey and delirious. And then he crooned in his best Cool Soul Man voice, "I grooove on looove." (Fa was eating it up, of course.)

The swooning little brother phenomenon is not limited to our household, of course... our friend Kathryn, who has two little brothers palpitating over her, reported this little episode to Fa:

Little brother Shafer: (studying her devotedly) Kathryn, why do you hold your teacup like that? Is it because you're a pretty girl?

Kathryn: I don't know why... but sugar, I'm not really a pretty girl.

Little brother Dalton: (alarmed, indignant) Don't say that, Kathryn!! No! You're beautiful!

Shafer: Yeah! I think you're the prettiest girl in the whole wide world! Well... (sigh) you and Caitlin.

Adorable. (Hey, Fa is having a good week, no?)