Martinez Family Journal

This one was laugh out loud funny. Not that my children are any funnier than anybody else's, but I sure enjoy rereading these from the past. It has gotten so that we have been blogging for so long now that I have actually forgotten many of the incidents written about, for my memory doesn't last long. So it has proved really useful for me to have these recorded.

Anyhow, today's funny is-

The children and I were sitting eating lunch, and I was enjoying a V8 can of tomato veggie juice that Terry had left here the week before. I told the kids how I have heard one must aim for 5 servings of fruits/veggies per day, (nutritionists recommend), but by chance and no planning, I had prepared 6 for this meal for me- by far, a record for me for any one meal. I was impressed. There were 2 fruits in my yogurt salad, and 2 veggie servings in the V8 and 2 servings of bell peppers in a bowl. So I thought I was doing pretty well.

Drew looked over from the kitchen quizzically, with a concerned look on his face where he was cooking a quesadilla, and inquired "So how does that stuff taste?" and I asked if he was referring to the V8. I offered it to him and replied that it was super, if you like spaghetti sauce, as I do. Like spaghetti sauce but thinner and really energy-giving and cancer fighting, so who wouldn't feel good drinking it?. I told him he would love it since he loves spaghetti sauce. He came closer and stared at it and remarked (Drew has not been an open minded eater so far) "I'd better not chance it." Those were the exact words spoken. No joke. I almost wet my pants.

Mary

We have had many talks with Drew lately about Matty. Drew is a super brother to Matt. However, he has been growing more testy with Matty lately, and less and less patient. We have had to have talks about being patient with him, just as we (the parents) did with him when he was 4. He doesn't really seem to get it. We have had many talks about it in front of Matthew, in fact, out of convenience. Matt has heard us say to Drew that he needs to be patient with Matt for this is how 4 year olds are - they mimic and talk a lot. This is completely normal and to be otherwise would not be normal. Well, Matty has surprised us with comments such as:

"Drew, this is the way God made me!" once when Drew was growing very impatient with him talking so very much. He was repeating what he heard me tell Drew about 4 year olds.

Also, "Drew, be patient with me" he pleaded with Drew once, desperately. It was quite touching to see.

Mary

We have of late, found that Drew is increasingly feeling "humiliated" by Matt's behavior. Seems he is at that preteen age where he feels embarrassed by pretty much everything around him. As if anyone would judge him by his little brother's behavior! But he is quite sensitive; always has been. So now that seems to be even more so, as he is growing more self conscious by the day it seems. We were driving over to Daniel's home the other day, over those hilly roads down to his neighborhood that go up and down, quite quickly. Matt pointed out excitedly and quite animatedly, that his penis feels 'asleep' or numb when the car drives over the sharp ups and downs fast, as it was doing. John confirmed that this phenomena does happen to boys, even when swinging on a swing (the up and down motion). Anyhow, Jeanne was in the front seat and Drew and Matty were in the far back, and poor Drew was simply mortified. "Matty, how many times do I have to tell you - you DO NOT say things that have to do with your private parts or the crotch area - understood????!" he lashed out to Matt. Poor Matt had no idea he was doing something so wrong.

We have urged Drew to have patience with Matt, but he still feels so terribly self conscious, that he has very little patience where 'private parts' matters are concerned.

mary