O Brother, Where Art Thou?

A couple of nights ago, while I was lotioning Monkey up after bath, we started chatting about Caillou, a character from a PBS kids television program that she loves, and watches at her Nana’s house. I’ve honestly never seen an episode, so I’m a little fascinated when Monkey can tell me all about the different characters. It amazes me (and scares me a little at the same time) how much she retains from the show.

Caillou with his cat Gilbert.

 

So we were talking about Caillou and how he has a sister named Rosie, and then she started telling me about Caillou’s friends and his friends’ siblings. She mentioned that one of Caillou’s friends has a brother and a sister.

That’s when things got interesting.

“But Caillou only has a sister, Rosie. Like me. I only have a sister, right mama?”

“That’s right, Monkey. You only have a sister,” I said.

“Some guys have a brother and a sister, but some guys only have a brother OR a sister, right mama? Like me. I only have a sister. I don’t have a brother.”

Monkey often talks out loud about things that she knows are correct, but still wants confirmation on. I find this to be kind adorable. So I double confirmed her sibling status.

“Yep, that’s right. Only a sister. No brother for you.”

Then she paused, and pondered deeply.

“We’re gonna have to buy one.”

I stopped lotioning and laughed, and laughed, and laughed. Meanwhile she looked at me with a surprised half grin, wondering what she did that I thought was so funny. She was so earnest about it.

I told her that I didn’t think her father would approve of us buying a brother. Then I had to start explaining how God and mommies and daddies make babies. This wasn’t a conversation I thought I would be having so soon.

Monkey’s fascination with having a brother is not new. Last summer she was shocked to find out she didn’t have one.

In fact, I think her interest in having a brother has only ramped up since then. Especially because she sees Bean accomplishing new things and we’ve been talking to her about how Bean’s getting older and isn’t really a “baby” anymore. Whenever the subject comes up, she tells us that we need to get another baby.

Again, not a conversation I was expecting to have with an almost three-year-old.

Then tonight, on the way home from the grocery store, she suddenly and frantically shrieked, “MAMA! WHERE’S MY BROTHER??”

OMG. Again, Husband and I were dying of laughter. As if we forgot him at the store.

Is my brother in there??

It really is kind of sweet though. She is very attached to her sister and very aware of “her family” and wanting all of us to be together. At the dinner table she’ll say, “We’re all here. Mama, Daddy, Bean and me!” Or, last week before church when I was trying to pump her up about going to the children’s church she replied sadly, “But mama, those teachers are not my family. I want to be with my family.”

So I have no doubt that she would love another sibling — very specifically, a brother. When we ask her if she wants another sister or another brother, she always says brother.

And to be perfectly honest, if Husband and I have a third child, we would love for it to be a boy too — mostly because we’re not sure if we would survive the nuclear explosion that most certainly would occur at our house with three teenage girls.

We’ll see. Husband and I won’t be commencing those conversations for awhile yet. Plus, I’m going to want to hear from ALL of my friends who are parents of three to see what it’s really like. Any advance information is greatly appreciated. I’m sure I’ll be hunting all of you down individually when the talk is more serious. 😉

Did your kids ever ask you for another sibling?