Love Cont.

Cash and Legend are playing a rousing game of Hunter. They take turns hunting the other, who is either a wolf or bear, or sometimes they hunt dinosaurs together.

They are convinced there is a T-rex upstairs they must hunt. They creep up the stairs, unaware that I can see them from where I am sitting.

Cash - "What's that noise? It's a Sharp Tooth. Let's get 'em."
Legend - "Ya. I hear dinosaur. Up there."

They reach the landing.
Cash - "It's night time now. We gotta make a tent."
Legend - "Ya. Night night, Cash."
They lie down beside each other on the stairs.

Legend - "Night night. I love you, Cash."
Cash smiles broadly - "I love you too, Legend. I love you too."

I enjoy seeing how they interact when they think I am not watching. Sometimes their love and kindness toward each other surprises me.

How to Make Friends

Cody, Legend, Cash and I are enjoying an evening at the park. We have it all to ourselves for a little while, then a family of three girls arrives, much to my boys' delight. Cash assumes he will instantly have some more friends to play with.

Cash - "Hey look, Legend. Friends."

Legend pays them no mind for the moment, interested more in gravel and dirt than other humans.

Cash charges at one of the girls, a couple years older than him. "Legend! Get her! Get her!"

He puts on his best snarly, mean face and thoroughly expects the girl to squeal (either playfully or in sincere, either will do) and run away like Kayla usually does.

The girl looks at him, unimpressed, and tries her best to ignore him while he stomps around her.

Cash eggs Legend on to join him - "Get her! Get her!"

I walk over and kneel down so that I am eye to eye with Cash. 

I speak quietly so he know it is something just for him to hear, like I am sharing a secret.

"Girls like boys who smile and are nice and kind, not boys who pretend to be mean. She doesn't like your mean talk. If you want to be friends, try saying 'Hi, want to play with me?' Okay?"

Cash looks at me like he finally understands the difference between the sexes. 

He nods gravely - "Okay, Auntie."

Soon he and the girl are playing a great game on the slide. I can't quite figure out the rules or premise, but both are smiling and laughing. 

Crazy

Roisin sits beside me on the bottom stair and smiles up at me.

Legend sprints over to us, yells something incomprehensible, and runs away down the hall, barking like a dog.

Roisin looks back up to me, with a very silly smile - "Legend crazy."
Me - "Yes, yes he is."

And she barks after him.

Go To Sleep

I tuck Legend in his bed, and snuggle up to him to sing him a couple lullabies.

Legend puts his finger in his ear.

I laugh - "Oh, do you not like my singing?"
Legend shakes his head, then nods, then pats the pillow beside his head.
Legend - "Lay down go nigh-night, Mommy."
Me - "No, no sweetie. It's time for you to go to sleep and I will see you in the morning."
Legend shakes his head and pats the pillow again.

Love

I gently wake Legend from his nap.

He opens his eyes, blinks, and smiles sweetly at me.

Legend - "Hi Mommy. I love you too."

Heart melts.

...

Cash and Legend have been playing extremely well together. Legend is feeling the love. 

He puts his hand on Cash's shoulder and bends in to look into his friend's face.

Legend - "I love you, Cash. I love you too."

Cash looks down and away.

Me - "Aw, Cash did you hear Legend?"

Cash nods - "Uh-hun."

Legend tries again - "I love you too, Cash."

Cash turns his head away again, and changes the subject.

Cash, pointing at beads in a flower vase - "What's that?"

Luckily, the rejection doesn't phase Legend and they are off playing happily again in a moment.

Spider

Legend and Cash are very excited to discover a spider hanging out on the corner of their slide outside.

Cash - ``Oh wow! Auntie, look! A spider!``
Legend investigates - ``Oooooh! Scary spider!`` He wiggles his fingers menacingly.
Me - ``Don`t touch it. If you touch it, it will be scared and it might bite you.``
Cash and Legend both nod gravely and Cash takes a half step back.

They follow the spider around the slide for quite a while, pointing and making exclamations.
Legend - ``I like happy spider. He is smiling. Friend.``
Cash - ``Spider lives on our boat (referring to the slide). It`s his house.``

As soon as the kids turn their backs, I squish the spider and wipe away the evidence.

When Cash`s mom arrives, Cash is excited to show her his new pet.
Cash - ``Mommy! Come see! I wanna show you spider.``

But, he can`t find it.

Cash, happy and oblivious - ``Oh, he is hiding now, Mommy.``

I hope they don`t go looking for the spider tomorrow. I am prepared to lie if need be.

Superman!

Legend digs out his Superman baseball hat. He puts it on his head and runs around the house.
"SUPERMAN! To the rescue!"

He stops beside me.
Legend - "Superman, mommy."
Me - "Nice hat, Legend. Oh, you have a booger." And I wipe his nose.
Legend - "BOOGERMAN! Boogerman to the rescue! Nose!"
And off he goes again, arms raised triumphantly.