The Best Brother

I know I've said it many times, but we're so blessed to have AJ as Teddy's older brother. Now, some of AJ's awesomeness comes from 6 years of living with Teddy, so certain aspects of helping and interacting with Teddy are second nature. But AJ still has a huge heart, tremendous passion and a desire to plan things to perfection.

Tonight AJ spontaneously started helping Teddy write the letters of his name, doing hand-over-hand with Teddy. This started while I was making supper and they were in the other room. AJ told me what he was doing (although I could figure it out from AJ's prompts to Teddy), so I captured a video without AJ realizing it. (I almost got busted when Teddy noticed, but AJ was able to redirect Teddy's attention ... sort of.)

This was only the start.

As soon as Dave walked in the door after work, AJ was at his side to show him what they had been doing, proud of both his and Teddy's efforts. Then AJ concocted a plan for working with Teddy on a regular basis to help him learn his letters, spending a few weeks to master Teddy and then moving on to Theodore. (We suggested perhaps we focus on Teddy and not worry about Theodore yet.)

He asked to use the computer to create worksheets for Teddy to trace letters. Now he has three week's worth of worksheets that he plans to do with Teddy, a bit at a time, to help him learn.

Perhaps the best part was that Teddy was so receptive to AJ helping him that he actually stayed and focused and didn't wiggle his hand away. We'll see how long it lasts, but I love AJ's spirit and kind heart.

Not so Helpful Helper

Dave and AJ headed down to the land Saturday to take care of a few things. Since they had a pretty full schedule of work, Teddy and I stayed home to get a few things done and avoid chasing Teddy around the cow poop from our grazing visitors. Getting a few things done with Teddy can be quite the interesting experience, though, because sometimes he plays really well independently, sometimes he wants you right by him and sometimes he destroys stuff faster than you can possibly keep up.

Our Saturday morning started with Teddy breaking the bathroom faucet while reefing on the handles and sitting on the counter washing his feet. He's extremely interested in playing in water, and usually it's not that horrible of a mess to just soak up the water. This adventure required turning off the hot water to avoid the constant dripping until Dave came home. Luckily, that was a quick fix that just required tightening a few things.

Teddy and I went to the farmers' market to get some beans and cucumbers to can. We also sampled donuts and crab rangoon, both of which made excellent breakfasts. I knew that attempting to can with Teddy had the potential to be challenging, but I managed to get everything canned while he was awake.

He actually spent much of his time playing in the garage. The garage is not the safest spot for him, to be completely honest, but it works with frequent checks, a sharp ear listening for reasons to sprint there and tolerance for things to be destroyed. On one of those checks, I discovered Teddy was an auto mechanic with a mop. He was nearly all the way under the car, just like an auto mechanic, although I've never seen an auto mechanic under a car with a mop as their tool. Fortunately his feet were sticking out, so I could extract him and point him in a different direction with his mop.

Sunday morning, I decided we should clean our windows that were completely schmutzed with fingerprints, food and probably quite a few licks. This gave Teddy the chance to play with the spray bottle. I managed to snap a few pictures of him, and he looks so proud of his work and helpful. Reality was that I was constantly following right behind him, redirecting him to spray only the windows and not everywhere else (including his mouth) and eventually sent him outside to spray to his heart's content. That ended with the spray bottle in two pieces and part of it dropped over the deck.

Still, it was a productive weekend as far as life with Teddy goes. And he looks super helpful, so I can always use these pictures when I'm trying to outsource him, right?

This is great fine motor practice. 

Doesn't he look happy and helpful?

AJ's Plans

We spent most of today visiting my aunt in Milwaukee, enjoying the nice weather by playing in a few parks, picnicking, checking out the LEGO store (AJ's favorite) and riding escalators (Teddy's newest fascination). My aunt drove AJ to a few of the stops and learned about AJ's plans for when he turns 16.

He is saving his lemonade stand money to buy a vehicle when he turns 16. He is considering a Subaru Outback, which my aunt has with a push button to start it. He is also considering an Equinox, which is our latest vehicle. His last consideration is a minivan because he thinks they are really cool.

Then he will drive everywhere and take Teddy along on most of his trips, aside from a few vacations. 

"Mom, if you need milk, I'll go to the store. I'll say, 'Load up, Teddy.' Then we'll go get your milk. And maybe stop for a treat."

These plans were news to me. I'm sure they will change as he gets closer to 16 because I'm not so sure it's cool to drive a minivan ... or take your disabled brother with you everywhere. But right now I'm loving how much he loves his brother and plans to help in the future.

In fact, just yesterday when we were living it up at a swimming pool for spring break (after an hour of non-stop screaming to get there courtesy of an overtired Teddy), AJ said that he'll help Teddy in the swimming pool when he gets bigger. He will do that so that I can spend more time in the hot tub, of course. 

And when he wants to be, AJ is already a tremendous help. He got coats for both boys, along with drinks, and loaded the car today with those supplies and Teddy's blanket. Then he buckled Teddy into Teddy's carseat and suggested that Teddy might want a chewy tube for the ride. Seriously-all that from a 6-year-old.

AJ is absolutely the sweetest, best big brother ... when he's not head banging Teddy.