Siblings

This week I have had more than the useful obligatory sunday afternoon phone call from James. Since August 2000, James has called every sunday afternoon to touch base and so that we knew he was still alive. Growing up everyone thought that it would be me who would leave home and go traipsing across the world while my brother would be the homebody. Of course, due to his speak impediment everyone thought he was dumb too. Little did they know that he would one day become an Air Force pilot. See you just never know what someone is going to do one day.

So to make a long story short we had been talking about cinnamon rolls a couple of sundays ago and I told him I had made some and they weren't too bad. Our Aunt GG makes cinnamon rolls from scratch for the family and they are the Outland Family comfort food. There has been more than one phone call made from a family gathering to tell a sibling and about just what they are missing all the time making oooing and aughing and licking lips sounds in the background! So he sends me an email with no body: Just the subject line: Cinnamon Roll Recipe? So I find my cookbook scan in the recipe for the dough and type out the recipe for the filling I had used. He writes back wanting to know how long too cook them for and what about the icing? Evidently in my brothers book you can't have cinnamon rolls without lots and lots of ooey gooey icing. This afternoon he calls to tell me that he has the dough started and how thick did he need to roll it out and could he roll them up and carry the roll up to his off base sight next week. (side note: he made a flour mess all over his kitchen (MAYBE) so they should be plenty of hard work in these rolls). I hope the guys enjoy them along with his homemade slowcooked stew that is on the menu.

So this whole time the kids are into. How do little boys know how to pick on their sisters at such a young age. Just the other night BJ decided it was time to go to bed so he tottles over to the couch and jerks Dakota Grace's pillow from underneath her head, lays down on the floor and grins. Then there is her Winnie the Pooh stuffed animal. He did pick it back up off the floor and handed it back to her when I asked.

My bright idea for the week was to start letting BJ nap in a playpen in Dakota Grace's room that way I could nap or do laundry in our room and not wake him. So I came home from driving the bus and got it all set up and went about doing other things. Here comes Dakota Grace, "Mommy I cleaned my room." So I go in there to see what she had done and sure enough she had cleaned her room and in her toybox out. Now can you finish the story for me? Where were the toys? OH, YES in the playpen. So I told her what a good job she had done and put BJ in his bed as usual. She did stay in the living room and watch cartoons for an hour and a half which allowed me to take a short nap since I had been up since 3:45am.

Today BJ is walking very well and is climbing on everything. He can climb into their rocking chair and was trying to make it rock! Needless to say her sister wanted to rock him and he didn't like it.

My Mom says this is all sweet revenge from the grandparents......I am sorry for every minute of grief. Though up until the day I got married anytime James and I were home together we still fought. The last time I remember Mom and Dad were getting ready for church and James and I were across the living room from each other yelling, "He touched me, she touched me, he is looking at me, etc." Just for my parents benefit.