Letters

On a normal weekday I pick up Mars after school and then Venus, and then some time later we head for home. Some days the kids run for the front door, ring the bell and then hide from Supernerd, who comes outside to find them always hiding in the same place. He is always very surprised to find them there, and they think it's hilarious.

Other days we argue about who will be carrying Mars' school bag to the front door, or whether Venus is allowed to climb across the back seat to get out of the car on the other side.

But the best days are when we get home and Mars, who is always out first, checks the letterbox. If there are two letters he will give one to Venus to carry in. If there are three then I get one as well.

Yesterday there was just one, and I wondered whether we would have tears over who would be carrying this letter into the house. But Mars, to his credit, started groaning and complaining loudly about how dreadfully heavy this envelope was and about how he really needed Venus to help him carry it inside. So she took one side and he took the other and they happily carried it in together and put it on the table.

Sometimes he can be such a pain, and yet at other times he figures out exactly the right thing to do, and goes ahead and does it.

Little boys are just like that, I guess.