What I love about having two children who are the same gender is seeing their differences unfold. Despite the fact that they are both boys and raised in the same house, they are distinctly different creatures. I've kept a little chart since Deal was born of how they have differed throughout their various growth spurts and stages. I'm nuts about charts and tables and pie charts (even though Professor Malthouse steered us away from pie charts, claiming they do not depict graphical excellence).
Both Bird and Deal attended the same Methodist preschool. They both went to chapel and had the same teachers. Bird still thinks "Jesus" is pronounced "Cheesus" and remarks how they must have a lot in common since he likes cheese too. I guess he figures since Mac Daddy is from Wisconsin this all clearly makes sense.
Deal wants to end every declarative statement with "Amen." He also wants a Jesus themed birthday party.
So take this recent exchange as an example:
Deal: Where does nature come from, Mommy?
Bird: It's Mother Nature, Deal. Mother Nature gives us the rain and stars and plants and snow.
Deal: NOOOOOO She doesn't!!! Mother Nature isn't real! Mommy is our only mother!
Bird: I SAID MOTHER NATURE MADE NATURE! That's why we call her that. MOTHER NATURE!!!
Exasperation beads in little sweat droplets on their upper lips at this point. Neck hairs are saluting, voices are quivering, fists are shaking.
Deal: God made nature. God did it. God did it. God did it. God did it...
This starts to sound like goddamn it after while, and I crack up.
Bird: Deal, I told you, there is no God!
I can't win. I don't necessarily agree with either one of them. I had no idea what to do. So I did what every mommy blogger would do. I fired up my laptop and let them fight while I captured a blog-worthy moment.
Amen.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
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6 comments:
I love this. I want your kids to be friends with my kids.
Great post. I've often wondered if I have children how I'll approach the issue of religion. Seems like yours are well on their way to full blown philosophizing.
Budding philosophers.
At least they're thinking. Which isn't always all that easy when the "R" word raises its head.
Dinner table conversations are a riot at my house. A Jew, a Deist, two atheists, a pagan and an agnostic walked into a bar...
That is a deep conversation. Deep and hilarious.
So funny. How wise of you to let them figure it out on their own, while you garner more brilliant material...
Amen. My son randomly asks his friends if they believe in God. My boys are so close in age and have so many differences too. Although I think the younger one believes only because his brother doesn't.
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