Sister and Brother Getting Along???

The rest of yesterday was very laid back since the entire family was “fried” from being on the diamond basically all morning. We got home had some lunch and the next thing I realized everyone was upstairs in the “lounge” laying on the couch watching a movie. This is really the most comfortable spot in the house since the family room only has two seats (an aged recliner and an aged glider). My wife was able to purchase the couch at a garage sale for a very reasonable price. Sure the couch has some damage but the three people laying on it yesterday afternoon appeared to be very comfortable. I decided to join them as the movie was about to end.

Once the movie ended my wife suggested we play a family game and after much dissention we decided on “Uno Spin” which is a great deal of fun for the entire family. My wife made quick work of everyone followed by my son and I as my daughter brought up the rear. We had a good time and it was so wonderful being with my family. As the game ended it was time to prepare dinner and we decided to go with the very easy “barbecue pizza”. This recipe has come from a dear friend and yes, it is very easy if you remember not to overcook the pizza on the barbecue. I had left the pizza on too long and the bottom was burnt beyond recognition. Actually, the grill’s burner was not secured properly and the heat was much higher than expected. Oh well; I had to throw that pizza away but it was quickly rectified with a new crust.

Dinner was over and the lounging continued the rest of the evening. Morning came very quickly and everyone was exhausted. We all stayed in bed much longer than last Sunday and I think this will be the way each and every Sunday during softball and baseball season. This was okay and when we family all got out of bed I took a bicycle ride with my son to the bagel shop. My daughter wasn’t feeling up to riding her bicycle with us as she was recovering from her two softball games from yesterday. It was just my son and I riding our bicycles to the nearby bagel shop. I was observing my son as we rode and it really is difficult for him on parts of the journey which go uphill since his bicycle is very small. He has to work much harder than a regular size bicycles but his little legs were pumping so hard he had to stop several times for a water break.

The ride took much longer than expected but that should have been expected. The fact that I was able to ride with my son this Sunday morning meant the world to me. This was a very cool moment and with bagels in tow we returned home for a late breakfast. The rest of the day was uneventful with the exception my son was included to play with his sister and her friends. This was a very big step and I think my daughter might still have been tired and not up to her senses since there wasn’t a big fuss about having her brother included. First they played handball in the driveway then they were invited over a neighbor’s house to go swimming. Yes, even my son was invited in spite of not having any boys in the house they were going to. I found this fascinating because usually my daughter tells her brother to “get away” and won’t even entertain the idea of having her brother included.

I asked my daughter later on in the day why she included her brother and her response; “I don’t know.” I left it at that because there was no sense in disturbing a “good thing” but I had to marvel at how some things do work out very well. There wasn’t an incident and my son had fun hanging out with the “chicks”.

The day was over and I had put both our children to bed. My son was so tired he was asleep in no time which is always the case. My daughter on the other hand was seemingly wide awake and we had a very nice conversation. My daughter had something on her mind and it was school. She told me she doesn’t like school because it is “hard”. She went on to tell me that she wanted to go back to New Jersey because school was much easier back there. She was very concerned that she wouldn’t earn straight A’s and I told her that the straight A’s don’t mean anything as long as she is doing her best. I know she is doing her best but sometimes (often times) my daughter is her own worst critic. I went on to tell her that I would rather have her get B’s and C’s knowing she did her best than getting A’s without trying. She didn’t quite understand where I was coming from so I reiterated the fact of her doing her very best.

This was a good conversation but I remember when my daughter first started school six years ago how excited she was about school. I didn’t think that enthusiasm would last forever and apparently it hasn’t. I remember my daughter’s first day in kindergarten where most of the other children were clinging to their parents as they were saying their goodbyes. My daughter on the other hand just gave my wife and I a kiss and waved goodbye.

She loved school back then and loved school up until the second grade. I guess that is where it all ended but I must say this is the very first time I heard my daughter complain about her workload. I have no doubt she is doing her best I suspect she will do much better than she is leading on when we receive her report card in a few weeks. She is a great kid and a very intelligent girl I know everything is going to be great, and the fact that I will be around to experience this greatness means the world to me. I am extremely blessed with an incredible family and thankfully in recovery I get to reap the benefits.