on brothers and other oddities

Now we are one month old (ancient baby!), the occasion must be marked, a little note made of the gobsmacking placidity of my days. I am so enthralled, life gallops forward in minutiae! This little girl is now almost a full pound heavier than when we started, and seems to have the trick of smiling in earnest. And I think yesterday she may even have had ... not quite a giggle, but perhaps the single-celled organism that is the primeval predecessor to a giggle.



I have been trying to explain time to my son, and these little quirks like one month nnnnn-sorta-almost equals four weeks is not helping clear things up any. I can't remember when things clicked into place for me, but then I already had a big brother to tell me how the world works, so I got a head start. Anatole is most eager to share his ample knowledge of The World with Anaiah, this must be one of the truest joys of siblingdom. But it behooves the wise to take older brothers with a grain of salt.

The Infamous Lies My Brother Told Me (and that I believed, to my lasting dismay):

• Native Americans are born white; they become brown from spending so much time in the sun.
• Bees won't go in the shade. If a bee is chasing you, run into the shade and you will be safe.
• There is a line in 'Chattanooga Choo-Choo' that goes like this: "Satin and lace / I used to cough on your face."
• A square knot is the strongest knot in the world. It can hold anything.
• Earwigs are for ears.

I can tell that my son will be a natural. He loves sharing truths, especially the ones he invents. I can't wait.