Smiles on Ice

A Prologue:
I am getting comfy in my favorite chair by the window and the Christmas tree all lit up, a fresh, hot cup of coffee. I thought this would be the perfect time to grab a few quiet minutes, write something warm and fuzzy about brotherly love, about fun on a Sunday afternoon in Minnesota-the Hubby and Josh downstairs and Sam slurping a cup of hot chocolate at the counter.

I guess the hot chocolate wasn't hot enough to require slow savoring. In the time it has taken me to get my computer, plug it in, plump the pillow under my arm and tuck my feet up under myself, Samuel has descended from his swiveling stool and is now bouncing around the room, all chocolate mustache and smiles and it starts with a string of endless four-year-old riddles. He's been blowing across his cup. I can hear what he's been thinking:  "Mom, how do dogs talk to dogs?" "They bark." "Nope. They blow on them. How do birds talk to birds?" He's skipping about the furniture, hopping over the dog who also was mistaken when he thought this would be a quiet place to rest. "They chirp?" "Nope. They blow on them. How do cows talk to cows?" "I think cows say 'moo'." "Mom, No! They blow on them! And sometimes dogs say 'bark bark' and sometimes birds say 'chirp chirp' and sometimes cows say 'moo moo'.  And dads talk to dads. And moms talk to moms. And girls talk to girls. And Remoah is my friend at church but sometimes she talks to me. She's my friend. And Savannah is my friend. And so is Anthony and Parker. But they're boys. And boys talk to boys. I love everyone in our house. And I love my sisters, too, but they're girls. Right? And you're a girl." I get just a split second to answer "Yep" and no more. It continues on for a bit longer before he decides to take his bouncy self downstairs.  All the words that were waiting ready in my head to be plucked out into a story to go with these pictures, have disappeared as quickly as Sam's hot chocolate.

So, on a Sunday afternoon in west central Minnesota, two brothers went out on the ice.

They skated some.

Fell down some.

But...

got back up. And had some fun.
So the story is more cold and slippery than warm and fuzzy, but it's definitely on track for some fun in a Minnesota winter and some brotherly love.

The Epilogue:
Sam has bounced himself into the chair and wrapped himself around me. "I love you, Mom. And I love Josh and Dad. And I love Gilbert. And I love myself and everybody in our house. Cuz we're all friends aren't we Mom? Wanna hear what a Mustang sounds like?"

Yep.