watching 'em grow

the optimist

My brother E, good citizen him, has three kids. E1 is three, E2 is one and M3 is a month old. Each is their own person.

It's been interesting just watching them grow and express their personality. E1 is gentle and agreeable ("You try. It's good. Try.") E2 is observant and a quick storm. M3 is a small parcel that sleeps and poops. So far. And it is easy to imagine the joy associated with parenthood. Brother E's is obvious. A typical conversation in the car as Brother E drives us home after dinner on Sundays goes like this:

Bro E: I gotta think using about a different strategy with E2.
J&Y: Yah, they are so different!
Bro E: With E1, once I smacked him on the backside a little harder. I just wanted to test how far to go. Experiment, haha. And he immediately knows he has done something that has made me more angry than usual.
J&Y: Aiyah, he's a softie.
Bro E: But with E2, it's different. If I just slap his hand when he does something wrong, he hits me back! It's like monkey see monkey do still.
J&Y: Hmm, he's a fierce one.
Bro E: ... I must think about it some more, use a different strategy.
J&Y:...
Bro E: You know, it's nice seeing how E1 has changed in the last 3 weeks. He used to just ignore his little brother. But yesterday, while we we out on a walk, he suddenly just kissed E2 on the head! It's nice, seeing him learn to relate to his little brother and show his love.

Awww. But no, we have not changed our minds about not having our own. That's three negatives in one sentence.

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