For the past 32 years, I’ve had the delightful experience of having two men in my life, both of whom I adore. The first is my husband, of course, and the second is the son we had a few years into our marriage.
When we were first married, I made the comment that I would “love to have three boys just like my husband.” Then we got the one boy, who is eerily just like my husband, and I realized that one might just be enough.
They agree on so many things and are alike in so many ways that often I am able to predict what one will think when the other one shares an opinion. They both love animals and nature, and have excellent senses of humor. They both go (or went, in my husband’s case) to work faithfully, even when they’d rather stay home. They both love sitting outside next to a grill or smoker, enjoying the moment. Significantly, they both love Ohio State football (and basketball, volleyball, checkers…you get the idea).
Both guys have pretty strong opinions about things, and both of them will say they don’t. They believe they are the most agreeable people on the planet. In fact, for the most part, they are. The things they don’t like – littering, for example – are things about which they can be vocal and formidable.
Interestingly, one of the things they disagreed about came to light before our son turned 4 years old. When we were first married, my husband and I shared the one bathroom in our house. That meant he pretty much used the variety of soaps and shampoos that I purchased. Because I had read somewhere that you shouldn’t use the same shampoo every day, I always had a variety of bottles in the shower.
One day, my husband emerged from the bathroom with a frown, saying, “I hate all our shampoos.” I was puzzled. I pointed the first one (Prell) and looked inquiringly at him. “I hate that one,” he said.
Then he picked up the second bottle (Breck), and said, “I abhor this.” My eyebrows raised. Without prompting, he pointed the third bottle (Vidal Sassoon) and continued, “I detest this one.”
Finally, he picked up the last bottle (Finesse) and ended, “and this one stinks.”
I was stunned. I happily allowed him to purchase the next shampoo and I never heard another complaint from him. Meanwhile, I kept my assortment to use for myself.
Fast forward several years to our son in the bathtub at age 3 or so. As I was washing his hair (with Johnson and Johnson baby shampoo, of course), he pointed to my bottle of Pantene and announced, “Pantene Pro-V. That’s the best kind.”
Then, without pause, he looked at the other bottle in the shower area and said, “Oh, Vidal Sassoon. That’s very good, also.”
Too much TV, I thought!
But I also realized that it was going to be fun watching these two disagree from time to time. I’m still waiting for that, by the way.
I have never had the pleasure of one child being in touch with me – I ended up with 5 live ones and every one was a challenge is so many different ways – but in a sense every one of them gave me such joy and excitement – and now they are all grown up and have their own little clans to deal with – all of them have at least two (or more) – so they will never have this type of experience – thanks for sharing it – made me think of things I still need to do, with mine!! Grandkids on deck!!
My two girls were not two peas in a pod! Of the four temperaments: sanguine, melancholic, choleric and phlegmatic, the older daughter, Linda, would be choleric, (let’s call that a Type A personality), and the younger one phlegmatic (Type B). My sister kept the older daughter for a week while I was in the hospital having the second daughter, Becky. There was twenty-one months difference in age. The minute Linda laid eyes on her newborn sister, she gave her a slap in the face as if to say, “You little brat, what are you doing taking my place.” However, we taught her that this is your new sister and she’s a part of the family now.
We lived on a country road so there was not a lot of traffic. When Linda learned how to ride a bicycle, she would tie a rope to her bicycle, attach it to a little wagon and pull her sister in it. We had a pretty long driveway. But she got the bright idea to take her sister out on the road when she saw a car coming. She made the turn to come back onto our driveway, but would leave Becky stranded on the road, and finally pull her to safety as the vehicle came closer. I don’t believe she intended to “take her sister out,” but just scare her. And of course, it worked! Then she would T-promise she would not do that anymore. The T-promise was supposed to be a true promise. When actuality it stood for Trick!
As they grew in age they would set up toy sales. They priced toys, games, stuffed animals and dolls they no longer cared for or wanted. Becky would always come crying to me because Linda would sell her broken toys, soiled stuffed animals or games and puzzles with missing parts. I finally said, “You know she’s like that, so it’s your own fault. Just don’t have anymore toy sales.”
Our daughters had twin beds. Becky woke up one morning and her Chatty Cathy was no longer chatting. She said, “Mommy, I think Linda has my doll. This one doesn’t talk anymore.” Linda, heard her. She said, “No! She rolled over on her doll and broke it!” I looked at Becky’s doll. Linda’s Chatty Cathy had ink marks on her face, so I knew she had traded dolls during the night. Becky got her doll back.
We all laugh often about these incidents now. I always claimed that my hubby and Linda had the same DNA and Becky and I have the same DNA. If anything went wrong, I could just blame one of them for it. Both my hubby and Linda have mellowed out in their old age and try to live one day at a time. We have so very much to be thankful for every day.
Wishing you and all of your family a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving! God bless America!
We had a blessed and huge Thanksgiving dinner last night with Becky and family. I learned that it was a bungee cord that Linda had attached to her bicycle and the wagon for pulling Becky. I also learned that Linda has since apologized many times for all the “mean” things she did to her sister. So it’s all good. We laughed long and hard at all the wonderful memories during our lives and are very thankful for them.