Wednesday, March 31, 2010

March madness




I think it surprised David more than it did us when he started snapping this morning. I don't want to foster any kind of competitive brotherly hate, but it took Peter 5 years and 17 days to discover his snapping gene. David accomplished this milestone after only 3 years and 10 months. Hey, Davey, maybe you should try whistling.

It all started in the kitchen. Angie and I were talking and completely ignoring David, who had raced in and was trying to tell us something that was sure to be earth-shattering news. Angie was busy going on and on about how awesome I am, though, so neither one of us was bothered about the earth shattering. David apparently was.

At one point, he got really frustrated and annoyed. He gets these genes from Angie, so it shouldn't have been a surprise that he did what Angie does when she is annoyed and feels neglected.

SNAP!

'Mama!'

SNAP!

'I said, HEY! Mama!'

SNAP!

It wasn't until the third snap that we finally realized what was happening.

'David! Did you just snap your fingers?'

David stared at his fingers for a few seconds before grinning like the village snapper.

'Yeah, I did.'

Since he had finally gotten our attention, we asked him what the hell it was that he wanted. He didn't answer, though; he was too busy running off to find Peter. Yeah, he gets the bragging bit from Angie as well.

So, now onto a part that he gets from me.

Hanging out at Irish pubs in Germany is also Angie's thing, but I'm still claiming this one. Angie can have the 'memory' gene, which Peter definitely has. He told me once that he remembered being inside Mommy's belly and that it was like being in a laundry machine. The creative lying gene is mine.

David is certainly creative, but he didn't inherit the remembering gene. You can yell and scream at him until the veins in your neck are about to burst and he still forgets it two minutes later. I gave up trying and turned to the Godfather for a favor on Lauri's first birthday. Please, Padrino, teach him to remember.

Sami started with a game of memory. David continued to flip the same two tiles over for the first twenty minutes, so I'm thinking that he wasn't quite getting it. Oh, well - it's the thought that...shit, how does that phrase go again?

David was more in his element when Jack and William stopped by for a scary movie-night sleepover.

You'll notice by most of the expressions here that The Gruffalo was a bit frightening; only David was laughing his ass off. Angie and I both get scared every now and then, so I'm not sure where David gets his 'I fear nothing' gene.

Sometimes, genes have nothing to do with it. I've learned that having older brothers to teach you all kinds of bad shit can also influence your development.

Yes, B is for Bad and D is for David. Thanks again, buddy, for teaching him to eat markers.

After painting the table, our sofa and the wall green, it was time to get the hellions ready for bed. First stop - teeth brushing 501.

After a rather loud and chaotic hour in the bathroom, Sandy volunteered to read a story to Tom.

Tom had maxed out his energy levels after having four other BIG boys to play with all night, so he was one wink shy of crashing big time. Thanks for jumping on that grenade, Sandy - you're a peach. I'll just tend to the wild ones.


I somehow managed to tame the adrenaline-crazed weirdos. After a few hours, I also managed to have a drink or five with the other crazed weirdos.

It doesn't take much to get the adrenaline flowing again. For David, it was a pair of kickass shorts with a matching hat that Grams had given him for being such a good boy.

Ah, did Grams just use David and good in the same sentence? Doesn't matter. David wasn't the only one prancing around in trendy outfits.


The only thing funnier than Armin sporting an Afro was when Barbara 'discovered' that Angie had stolen her childhood sticker collection. Scratch and swipe.


Apparently Angie found this treasured jackpot in her old room and used selective memory to claim it as her own. Since then, Angie has ignored the careful labelling of each sticker written in Barbara's handwriting and simply ripped off the protective plastic so that she could use Barb's cherished stickers for her class. I had a stamp collection growing up, but as far as I know, none of my sisters destroyed it just to save a bit of cash on postage. Bad sister!

Barbara forgave Angie, but only after several glasses of champagne. I would have made Angie wear the Afro to work, but maybe I'm just less forgiving and more creative than Barb.

Sticky Fingers was feeling a little guilty, so she bought Peter and David a new night-light.

I don't quite get the connection between stealing your sister's memoires and buying Din-o-lite for the boys, but some things are better left unasked. Like 'when the hell did the boys get old enough to walk to school by themselves?'

Not to drive the wedge even deeper, but Peter was 3 years and 7 months when he made his first solo flight and he didn't have a big brother to help him out. Sorry, Davey, but whistling will be the tie-breaker.

Tommy caught on that there was a competition and apparently wanted to join in.

I have collected some pretty bizarre stats on Peter and David, but I don't recall ever recording the first time they successfully captured themselves with a butterfly net. This is probably because even they have not done anything so weird. You can thank Mama for that gene as well.
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Ladder Talk:
1) What was the best part of your day?
Peter: That I played with Daniela dominoes because I had fun.
David: When we call Nil 'cause I like her and she like me.

2) What was the worst part of your day?
Peter: When I missed Grams and Opa.
David: Nothing today was bad.

3) What would you like to do tomorrow?
Peter: To play on my birthday and go to the Schnitzelhaus.
David: Tomorrow I go to Peter's birthday. Ha, he-he - I'm here already!

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