A Little Thing Called Common Sense

We’re in Indiana visiting Brad’s family right now, and I’ve just gotten a quick lesson in life:

Common sense may not be so common. At least not with me…

This morning Evan was playing with the dishwasher while Gloria supervised. I opened the cupboard above him to grab a coffee cup, and the entire front piece of glass fell out and landed on the floor next to him. But the glass didn’t just land once. It landed many times, bouncing end over end around the kitchen.

What did I do? With the common sense of a door knob, I chased it across the room like a cat batting at some stupid feather toy.

What did Gloria do? She threw herself over Evan like she was shielding him from shrapnel. Now that's love. And common sense...

Airplanes and Uncle Brent

Has there ever been a more excited surrogate uncle?

A year ago, Evan was the first baby Brent had ever held and it showed. The first time Brent held Evan was at my insistence because I needed to pump. I had to practically beg Brent to hold him. I promised Brent he wouldn’t drop him. I assured him he could do no psychological harm in the short time he would have him. I came just short of signing a waiver with my blood to release Brent of any and all liability just in case he did, in fact, drop Evan on his head. The whole time Brent had that trying-to-enjoy-holding-the-baby-for-the-sake-of-the-mother-yet-terrified-to-death look cemented on his face. I thought the poor guy was going to have a heart attack.

This year, when Brent came out to visit, he picked Evan right up and Evan gravitated to him like they were blood. Somehow Evan just knew Brent was one of his People.

Brent and Evan played from the second Brent got here until the moment he got on his plane. I love how kids bring us right back to childhood. Within minutes of hanging out with Evan, Brent had already made him a paper airplane – with his name on it – and was flying it around the house for Evan. For someone who doesn’t know if he wants kids, Brent is an absolute natural.

Excited uncle that Brent was, he insisted on buying Evan some new toys. I went with my standard love – Melissa and Doug wooden toys. Evan already has some of their puzzles and building block sets.

Among the many other toys Brent showered Evan with, were the ever-loved toy work bench and some ball contraption I’ve never seen before but Evan fell in love with. Both came with a hammer. A wooden hammer.

At first, Evan hammered his toys until we both had a headache. But it didn’t take long for him to realize the hammering didn’t have to be exclusive to his toys. For instance, he could hammer me. Or Levi. Or the TV.

So the hammers have been confiscated and replaced with a nice cushy –still does the job but doesn’t hurt when it hits my head – plastic hammer.