Sweet Surprises

I let May 23rd's post sit in top spot for entirely too long, leaving a lingering impression that those kinds of nasty exchanges--full of italics and caps and exclamation marks of the worst sort--are the final word on suffering through the process of civilizing male creatures. Not so. Sam and Carter also speak that loudly and emphatically when they have something thrilling to share with each other or with us. The topic can be as little-boy bemusing as the rules of a new game that involves the arrival of Power Rangers and the nth degree destruction of all order in the bedroom (trying to nix this game), or it can be as my-sweet-son touching as the revelation of an unexpected kindness.

Two days following the Car Hell post, the boys came thundering down Tracey's stairs bursting with an announcement: "WE DID SOMETHING! You HAVE to COME and SEE! Come, come, come..!!" Sam half-started the explanation, "We made... " and Carter hissed a quick "Shhh! Don't tell her! It's a SURPRISE!" Right, Sam remembered and switched to secret operator mode, shouting in whispers "You will be soooooOOOOHH surprised!" By this point, Carter was skipping from foot to foot in anticipation and Sam had leaned right into my face, eyes bulging in conspiratorial glee, "It's the best secret!!"

Tracey passed Anabel to me and got set to play along, but with a pinch of trepidation about the vague phrase "We did something..." It wasn't long ago that the two had shuffled downstairs to inquire, not so innocently, "ummmm, can we have the tape?" They'd wanted to repair Carter's radio. But this time the boys were splitting with excitement as they mounted the stairs ahead of her. I craned to hear from the living room level, wincing a little as I realized they were charging into Tracey's room rather than rounding the corner for Carter's. "Lookit! Lookit! LOOKIT! " And Tracey's "ohhhh!" was surprised. Pleasantly surprised. I only had to wait a half second to hear why...

"WE MADE YOUR BED!"

And so they had. Beautifully. How sweet of them to have thought of it. And sweeter still to be that excited to show her. Sometimes the shouting is kinda nice.