What baby?

Today Madison used her artistic talent to express some long held, barely repressed feelings about her little brother.

I found this picture hanging on her bedroom door. My interpretation? The angry (note the expressive monobrow) person on the left, is Madison and the crossed out person on the right is Max.

Her troubled relationship with her brother began nearly three years ago with their first awkward meeting in the hospital after he was born. At said meeting, Madison, when asked what she thought of the new baby, replied, 'What baby?'

We brought him home and things didn't really change much. Occasionally she paid attention to him, like when we gave him his first bath and she noticed his penis for the first time, loudly exclaiming, 'What is that!?'

When we explained, 'That's Max's penis.'

She just stared at it, processing it in a two and a half year old way. Then she said, 'Gross.'

I've never known if it was the word 'penis' that offended her or the actual penis which caused her two year old sensibilities some discomfort. But after that we were forced, with tears and angry screams, to call it a 'Peanut'.

But generally she'd deny his existence, aside from the 'Penis' event.

Sometimes, I'd try to get pictures of them together, thinking I was watching the bond of siblings being formed. This did nothing but accentuate the obvious emotions between Madison and her new rival Max.

See?

I wish I had a cute story about how they've overcome all that, and now they're the best of friends, but I'd be lying.

It's not entirely bleak, she can't really ignore him anymore...thus the sign on her door. She also looks out for him, making sure he doesn't attempt to put something other than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in his mouth. Would you believe he used to be willing to try a new food, without crying? I see signs of tenderness when she reads a book and tries to teach him how to read. I can tell she likes his intense love of her, even though she tries not to let on.

This potentially sets the stage for her future relationships with boys, where she'll accept their undying devotion with outward indifference and also, she'll insist on calling their penises, 'Peanuts'.

Who says siblings aren't important?

Comments

[Loody]

That photo is just a classic! The picture too! I have an older brother and sister who were quite close in age. My brother used to shout a lot and then huffily storm off to his room and slam the door. One time he did this yet again and my sister slid a note under his door which said: Dear Matthew, I know family are being a bit annoying but please do not shout. Love from God.

I guess one day your daughter will go beyond drawing pictures and may be as eloquent as you are at writing!
============================================

Ed Note: Love the note from God. My brother wrote me a note once that said, 'Sometimes two people can not get along, and those two people happen to be related. I see no further reason for us to talk. Please give me all my phone messages and I will do the same for you.'
Nice. He's one of my top 10 favorite people now, even though we don't talk except to exchange phone messages.

[jilbur]

goodness, that picture looks like something that ought to be in a pediatric art therapy textbook. Brilliantly expressive execution! Economy of line!

Added bonus: one hopes she ends up mated to someone a few years younger. Seems like the lion's share of happy marriages I know, the woman is at least 2 years older. ahem, self included.

============================================
Ed Note: A dear friend of mine is an art therapist. I showed her the picture Madison drew of our family where Max was nothing but a tiny dot. My friend seemed hesitant to translate this drawing for me.

[The Sarcastic Journalist Journalist]

My older (2.5 years older) sister was the same way to me. Absolutely could not stand me. Of course, as Max grows older, he will realize this and use it to his advantage.

Luckily, she finally outgrew it. I'm 24 now and we can actually speak on the phone.

Thats a funny picture, though :)

[chanzi]

My relationship with my brother started off rather rocky as well--my parents tell the story about how, on the way home from the hospital, we were both in the back seat and I was yelling to "make him stop looking at me!" Things have improved a lot since then. But last year, just after my boyfriend broke up with me, my mom gave me this note to remind me how I had always know that boys are dumb. Needless to say, my brother's name is Cameron.

=========================================
Ed Note: In the words of Madison, "Girls rule, boys drool."

[Rebecca]

So I'm not the only mother who has ruined her oldest's childhood? Whew!

Hannah's first legible writing was a piece of pink construction paper bearing the words "Hannah's Room No Cobi Allowed."
It hung on the door to the room they shared for the first 5 months of his life while our current house was being built. I figured the art would go once they got thier own rooms but it didn't.

Think of it this way, we're just assuring that some over=priced therapist's child will get to go the college of their dreams.

[Anna]

"Who says siblings aren't important?"

I'm sure if you ask my 10 and 9 year olds, who are, coincidentally, in their rooms staring at their walls right now for fighting, they might say that siblings aren't important. ;-)

Who thought Spring Break was a good idea?