Imagine here a photo of Israel, cute as a button in his one piece zip up the back swimsuit that covers his whole body like a onesie (shorts/tshirt in one), and he arrives at the pool where we are members for the summer season for the very first time, and he is like, let me at it!
I barely have time to get ready before he is in the water trying to blow bubbles, choking, and trying again. Let's not compare children and remember that it took some other child years to put his face that close to the water. So I have a swimmer now. He starts swim lessons in two weeks -- I sure can't teach him! (As a Leo, I have always hated the water.)
When people find out Israel has only been here three weeks, they are amazed. He seems very comfortable in the world. He projects a lot of confidence. He terrifies his older brother who is sure that Izzy will outgrow and out-everything him in the next month or so. You would think this would make Eddie nicer to him, but it doesn't seem to work that way.
Click: Izzy sitting on his beach chair eating pistachio nuts -- he can shell them himself.
Click: Izzy running in the grass with the enormous beach ball he got from our neighbor Jackie -- the running is underscored by the music of his constant laughter, almost hysteria. I have never known a happier guy.
Click: Izzy tackling the laughing Eddie who has the ball now.
Click: Izzy trusting me to support him in the water, on his back, kicking his legs and smiling up at me.
Click: Izzy jumping into the water -- and I catch him!
Yes, it is hard for Edward to watch his mother fall in love with someone else. I do try to show Edward as much love as I can these days, but it is hard to be loving toward someone who keeps taunting, hitting and pinching my new baby, even if my new babe is very able to defend himself. Izzy's newest word, practiced repeatedly in the car on the way to the pool: STOP!
Izzy is so quick to copy Eddie, it shocks Eddie, but it hasn't yet made him think twice. I now have two boys who open their mouths to show me their chewed food (pistachios are amazingly green, the same color as my brand-new -- thanks honey -- pedicure), two boys who try to stick their tongues up their own noses, two boys who come into the kitchen only to bless me with their farts! (That last one isn't really Eddie's fault -- I think boys just do this automatically on their own without having to be trained.)
And that is the news -- tomorrow will be Izzy's first day at the beach!!!!
Big Hellos to Donna who is following this now. Hope all is well in California! xoxoxo Emma
lol. Don't worry, Emma. The fighting is a "brothers" thing. I am telling my little one not to spit at or hit the older one as I write this. The older one, in turn is pushing him. But they worry so much about each other (did you see Johan calling out to Jimmy when he fell while skating?). And that's the important thing to me- that I know they are there for each other when it counts. I'm sure it's the same with your kids.
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