Jan 27 2011
The Tween Zone
Do not adjust your tv sets (or computers). . . you have now entered. . . the TWEEN ZONE (do-do-do-do do-do-do-do). He’s at times moody, pouty, and downright surly. But 5 minutes later, he’s the happy, sweet kid we love to pieces (we love him to pieces even when he’s not happy, but it’s a lot easier when he is! 🙂 ) Example? Last night we had taco salad for dinner. Daddy, Bear and I looooove taco salad. Bubba? Not so much. So he pouted and picked his way through dinner. He was pretty sour about it, especially when he was told “this is what’s for dinner. take it or wait till breakfast.” But after dinner, he played and played and played with Sam while I did the dishes (Daddy and Bear were at baseball practice). Bubba was (and really, always is) the BEST big Bubba to Sam (and most of the time, to Bear ;-)).
Later in the evening, our friend Jennie brought her puppy Sydney over for us to puppy sit for the weekend. Sydney is very shy, especially around kids. So you can imagine what she thought of our three boisterous boys. Bubba was so patient and loving, trying to convince Sydney that little boys really are okay. He even helped remind his little brothers to be calm and still around her. He even conquered his own shyness by selling some baseball fundraiser candy bars to Sydney’s Mommy. He was very grown up.
Then there are moments that remind me that he’s still mostly a little boy at heart. As we were making up his bed with clean sheets, I was working on the fitted sheet while he put the pillowcases on the pillows. “Know why I like pillows so much, Julie?” I incorrectly guessed comfyness and softness. “I give up, Bubba. Why DO you like pillows so much?” He grinned and said, “Because they make the BEST forts!” I then got a brief education as to how best to build a pillow fort in the tub with the decorative pillows from the bed.
So Tween Zone, do your dirty work. My sweet boy will always be in there, and next time he disappears into the surly Tween Zone I’ll bring him out with a pillow fort. 🙂