Pauses

 Benny(4) and Charlie (2) fight about 98% of the time..that might be a slight miscalculation..it's probably more like 98.4%. Someone asked if it was because they are following the example of their older siblings.  I told them that the older kids really don't fight very much. Yes, they have disagreements and squabbles but nothing like B and C. Then they said maybe it was Don and I. I had to laugh as I explained that we don't throw shoes at each other or tackle one another or pull hair or bite. My hope is that it's a phase and that it will pass...not soon enough! I do however see pauses in the fighting...like one afternoon when they were playing Mass:

Me: What are you boys doing?
Benny: Playing Mass.
Me: Oh, so who is Charlie being?
Benny: The priest.
Charlie: Yeah, I pweest.
Me: Who are you, then, Benny?
Benny: I am God.
Me: I see, so as God, what do you do during the Mass?
Benny: I give my body to the priest.
Charlie: Nods in agreement.

Usually at least 3 times during the family rosary, Charlie asks to pray the Hail Mary. He has a scratchy, sweet, little voice and I don't think there is anything more angelic than a 2 year old praying.

Then there was the time I explained to Benny the best way to fight the devil and he remembered it and told my Mom a few days later. The kids call her Manga:

Benny: Hey Manga, do you know the best way to fight the devil?
Manga: No. How?
Benny: When he tells you to be bad, don't be bad. Be a good human.

Charlie is always on the lookout for unattended injuries. He mimics me sweetly as he kisses the affliction and says, "I kiss your boo-boo, do you feel better now?" Kisses really do make everything better!

One last pause happened today...105 degrees and all. I filled up a little baby splash pool and gave them each a cup and an empty milk jug. For 45 minutes they took turns filling it up for me and I sprinkled them with a waterfall and the process began again...I think there is something to Montessori methods.

And so, I'm going to try and document these rare and brief pauses because they are a light.