While #2 has been checking all of the required baby boxes lately,#1 has been quietly doing his thing as well. I wish I could say things have been plain sailing recently but life’s not that perfect. I think I’ve said it before but Ethan’s 8th year has been a particularly rough one to parent. We had some honeymoon weeks after Nixon arrived and now we are back in the battle zone. He’s a ‘spirited’ boy, stubborn, unrelenting and driven by righteousness and a fervent self-belief that he is ALWAYS right. But, he is also honest to a fault, sensitive, brilliantly smart and so sweet on his little brother that there are always nice reprieves with him even in the darkest of ‘those’ kind of days.
On Friday a special moment happened that almost slipped by unnoticed; Ethan and his friend next door set off on their bikes to the 4 Square – unsupervised, with money to burn! {Well Sam had two big ones and E had my eftpos card with strict instructions he was only to spend $2}.
Do you remember back when we were young and it was so normal to cruise off to the dairy with the neighbourhood hoodlums to spend your .50c on coke bottles, teeth, aniseed wheels and popsicles? It was awesome, it was such a kiwi thing to do and I am so happy that it’s still possible for Ethan to have this same little taste of independence and responsibility. This was a big deal; the boys had to be aware and safe on the road {there are barely any footpaths in our semi-rural community} and Ethan had the added burden of looking after Mum’s eftpos card and staying within his budget. Such good life skills!
The boys completed their mission, E spent $1.98 and was oblivious to the little growing-up test that he just aced!
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