Band of brothers

I was having one of those days on Tuesday, one of those Gus is really pushing my buttons today days. It was afternoon, and I was getting crabby and feeling spent. Ben and Paul had recently returned from school, and Gus, for no reason I can discern, picked up Paul's Ninjago golden dragon Lego toy and smashed it on the floor.

I was furious, beyond tired of my little despot's senseless acts of destruction. As an aside and to give this battle of wills some context, keeping Legos put together is much more important to me than it is to my youngest. He delights in casually taking apart the sets that Mark or I have labored over for an hour or two. I know it must be good for him to disassemble and imaginatively reassemble, but something about it offends my sense of order. It's hard to see the toy that we spent a not-insignificant amount of money on lying on the floor in 150 pieces.

So, there I was, sputtering with anger. I was yelling, meting out consequences. "No iPod tomorrow!" I scooped up Paul's other Lego toy, one Gus really likes to play with, and put it on a high shelf in Paul's closet. Gus was screaming. Then something that shocked me. Paul said, "No! Don't put it up! Let him play with my Tread Assault!" I didn't get it. Gus had done something for which his brother would normally pummel him, and here was Paul defending him.

I stuck to my course of action. The toy stayed on the high shelf. But after my tirade, it was as if Ben, Paul and Gus were banding together. Ben and Paul welcomed Gus into their fold, and all three played together, which, like, never happens. At one point, I heard Paul say with his cute little speech impediment. "Brothers forever!" (Bruthas fo-evah!)

All I can figure is that my boys decided it was time to close ranks. I can just imagine them thinking in unison, Mom's really lost it now; we'd better stick together. I've witnessed this with Ben and Paul as well. Sometimes Mark or I will be disciplining Paul, and suddenly Ben is all over us, defending Paul. I recall times like this from growing up with my brothers as well. One or more of us had done something to really tick off our parents, and suddenly we were all in it together.

It's weird being on the other side of this now, being the oppressor. Even if I'm stuck being the heavy in this situation, I tend to think my boys' unity is a good thing. I want Ben, Paul and Gus to be have a strong bond, to always be there for one another. I guess I'll just have to accept being the bad guy sometimes. Bruthas fo-evah!