Siblings

by Patti

S finally has the baby brother she has always longed for. And I finally know what other moms mean when they say they "can't take the bickering."

The only difference is that this baby brother? Is a dog.

Gaucho has now been with us for just over a month, and I can honestly say we can't imagine our lives without him. This bat-eared, flat-faced, wrinkly-bodied, chocolate-eyed little creature has kind of stolen our hearts, and I'm not even sure he realizes it.

He has also transformed from shaky, scared little puppy, to a confident, frisky, mischievous little thing that zigzags around the back yard and tries to befriend Great Danes 900 times bigger than him.

Part of this new found confidence also means that he sticks his barely-there nose into a book that S is reading, or paws the homework  she is working on, or tries to take a lick of ice cream right as the spoon is headed into S's mouth. In short: He has become The Annoying Baby Brother.

"Mom! Gaucho won't stop biting my sweater!"
"Mom! Gaucho keeps trying to chew my 'Young Authors' book!"
"MOM! Gaucho keeps trying to jump off the couch!"
"Mom! Gaucho keeps trying to eat my apple!"

And I look over at them, Gaucho parked brattily on top of S, his innocent face daring me to ground him, and I just can't get mad at him. He IS younger, after all, and, well, S, being the big sister and all, should know better than to provoke him.

But, so as not to play favorites, I scold him, even though he cocks his head at me when I do in such a way that I might just have to eat him up right then and there.

And then, just as soon as the bickering between them begins, it is over, and they are once again cuddled onto each other, watching some totally insufferable show that features screaming! All! The! Time! on Nickelodian together.

Ah, siblings. Such a wonder to behold.

Even if one of them regularly tries to eat rocks.