My little curmudgeon Leo will NEVER admit to loving his brother.  Thankfully Owen is brilliant at figuring out people so generally he just knowingly says that Leo loves him–he just doesn’t like to admit it.  Of late though Owen seems more convinced that Leo doesn’t love him.  This breaks my heart of course, particularly as I have tried from day one to always teach the boys how important brothers are—-that you always have your brother no matter what.  Now mind you the boys play beautifully together (MOST of the time) and Leo is a really good little guy no matter how hard he tries not to be….but…..

So yesterday evening I walked in the front door and was met with a charging Leo chattering about the Lego Fire Station.  Owen sat on the couch with his legs crossed, writing in a little notebook and Leo bounced around the room explaining his plan.

Owen desperately wants the Lego Fire Station.  I won’t even go into the fact that the boys have WAY too many toys, etc., etc.  He yearns for it.  Evidently the boys saw the Lego Fire Station on the computer at Parker’s house and Leo clicked on the price and it said $60.  So he came home and counted money from his bank that he earned selling lemonade. He explained all this to me and then raced upstairs only to come back with a little suitcase of money.

I asked him if he was sure he wanted to spend his money on something for Owen and Owen piped up behind me, "yeah, if you hate me why would you buy this for me Leo?"  Leo looked uncomfortable but then came up with, "well, you know he’ll cry if he doesn’t get it" and Owen obligingly—and cheerfully—-contributed his patented fake cry "WAHHH, WAHHH, WAHHH."  I was somewhat speechless.  Now the last thing we need around here is more Lego, much less $60 Lego but I was so touched by the sight of my curmudgeon standing there with shining eyes and $60—made up of assorted coins and $1 dollar bills—-that I said I thought that was a wonderful idea.

The boys are beside themselves and actually convinced Ernie and me to check at Toys R Us when we were out that evening.  We did—to no avail….the plan is that we will order it online this afternoon when they are home from school.

My sweet peas….