Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Wiggly Willie and President Carter

Midway through pulling together pictures for this post I realized that it probably belonged not on Chasing Roots, but on our family blog. I still wanted to share the pictures here though, so I began writing a short disclaimer to precede the body of the post.

That short disclaimer quickly became anything but short…it became Monday's post about the gradual shift in focus here at Chasing Roots. Long-winded is the name of my game.

So here is the original post. It has almost nothing to do with life in Texas and everything to do with my sweet boy and his adorable mini-me.

I've written many times about the relationship my sister, Sara, and I have worked hard to foster between our daughters, neither of whom will ever have a sister of their own and both of whom want and need a sister.

I've never written about the relationship between our sons.

While the gap between Will and Carter's ages will one day seem insignificant, right now those six years represent a lifetime, at least in Will's eyes. Will plays soccer, Carter picks up the ball and wanders off. Will soars higher and higher on the tire swing, Carter walks directly into the path of the swinging tire. Will builds elaborate Lego structures, Carter eats Legos. As much as Sara and I want our boys to grow close, we weren't counting on them making any progress until they were much older.

But as is often the case, we were wrong. (I'm pretty sure that as parents we don't get to be right until our kids reach at least 25 years of age. Then we get to be right all the time.) Our boys showed us that right now is as good a time as any.

Will asked if Sara and I would buy him and Carter a matching outfit. Finding outfits that come in both size seven and size 18 months is no easy task, so when Sara came across these mint green shirts and orange shorts she bought them immediately.
Will and his mini-me (they look related, don't they?) enjoying 
one of the few snacks that neither of them is allergic to.

Sara and I had no idea that Will and Carter owned a second matching outfit. Will could barely contain his excitement when Sara dressed Carter in his Bucky Badger shirt on the same day Will chose to wear his Bucky Badger shirt.
Carter looks less excited.

Will taught attempted to teach Carter how to play soccer, baseball, and disc golf. They stuck close to one another on the playground. Cozied up in Grandpa's recliner, they read books together, and when Carter tired of reading his own board books, Will read him the comics.
Carter didn't find Garfield all that captivating.

One afternoon at the splash pad, Will "got a chill" (the groundwater in Wisconsin is COLD) and I suggested he lie down on the sun-soaked pavement to warm up. Carter found Will's behavior fascinating, and stood next to Will - seemingly trying to figure out how to participate himself - for a long time (by toddler standards). Eventually Carter sat down on the cement, but to save his life he could not figure out how to lie down next to Will; he made a full circle around Will, scooting on his bottom, before he pleaded for help and we lent him a hand. I absolutely love the look on Carter's face when he finally joined Will on the ground...Carter clearly never understood why Will was doing what he was doing, but he knew he wanted to do it too.

Occasionally I need to remind myself that when it comes to my kids developing and strengthening relationships with their cousins who live far from Texas, it's not just about the girls. These four kiddos will need each other someday, and it's our - the parents/aunts/uncles - job to make sure that when that day comes, they'll step up to the plate.
Both literally and figuratively looking 
up to his big cousin. Oh, my heart.

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