Acorns to Oak Trees

There is a small insert on BBC's CBeebies kiddies channel where they use the analogy of an acorn turning  into an oak tree with the line "growing together". I've seen it a million times, but yesterday it really got me thinking who my little "acorns" will be when they are "oak trees"? 

I guess it all starts with who they are now, and while I have tried to describe my boys separately in order to capture their uniqueness, at his stage I have not yet found the words to do so successfully.  They are both big, strong, beautiful boys who are sensitive, stubborn, charming, good natured, (mostly) well behaved, feisty, demanding, humourous, mischievous and active boys. I know there is something different about them but I have not been able to put my finger on it yet, let alone describe it in words.

I often think about who they will be "when they are big", and I have even gone so far as to have their names and birth dates done in numerology and their astrological charts.

Both reveal that Alex will be more of the leader - no surprises - but more puzzling is that while Alex is the male archetype, Robbie is the 'mother' archetype. More nurturing and philanthropic in is ventures. Its surprising because it is hard to see at the moment. He is such a high energy, wrestling initiator at the moment, its hard to see the nurturing side. But I guess it is there... This morning when I could not find my treasured Lunar linen kaftan, and was quite upset, Robbie said, "Robbie make it better, Mommy".  Too precious!

Next to my table at the coffee shop where I am typing this up, four old men are sitting, shooting the breeze, laughing and ... SMS-ing. I hope my boys grow up to be this old, still enjoying life and each other, and in touch with the latest techno advances.

I want, I want, I want!

My son Alex is four and he is heavily 'into' Ben 10. In fact, he was into Ben 10 "stuff" before he even really knew who Ben 10 was. Of course, now that he has seen an episode or two (or 20!) of the 10-year old Ben Tennyson, who is able to fight crime by turning himself into 10 different aliens by pushing a button on his outrageously large watch, he is obsessed. And there is no shop I can take him to where I can escape the Ben 10 clothing, toys, memorabilia... And every shop we go to has a new version of Ben 10 T-shirt, or a different selection of ultra cool toys. It has become a problem in our home! How does one deal with the instant gratification needs of a four year old?

Last term, I refused to buy him a Ben 10 backpack. It was traumatic as all his friends had one. I told him that if he wanted it he had to earn it. He spent a month earning it by staying in his bed until sunrise (6:30am - yay!) each morning. Every 7 days he received a Ben 10 "lucky packet" with a surprise alien figurine in. And after 5 aliens he received his backpack. The sense of achievement and pride was palpable. He radiated happiness. I couldn't have been happier! Now though, if I recommend earning a yearned for item, he says "No, earning it is too tiring! I want it now!" Of course, "no" does not go down so well and let's just say I have a very sad, petulant and feisty boy on my hands.

Just when I had taken the stance that enough was enough, Robbie, my two and a half year old, through sheer exposure to Ben 10's "cool factor" has fallen in love with all Alex's Ben 10 gadgets and figurines. Just this morning, they had a such a tussle over THE watch, that my husband, who cannot handle these altercations, begged me to please buy Robbie his own watch. So now, I am off to buy my two year old a Ben 10 watch that costs R250! How did this happen? I thought I had at least another year before Robbie fell victim to the same obsession as Alex!