Brotherly love

There are approximately 347 things that Will has decided that he is going to learn before walking on his own. The kid will stand unattended for minutes at a time, stoop down, pick up a toy and stand back up. He will dance to music and giggle. But he won't take more than one or two steps unassisted before dropping to his knees and crawling. If you attempt to make him walk to you more than one or two times in a row and he'll whine at you then thrash about as though you're trying to make him drink poison.

One of the many things he's decided he *will* learn, however, is how to feed himself with a fork. He will not eat any food that he cannot feed himself. If you should attempt to put something on a fork or spoon into his mouth he will screw up his face and turn angrily away. Hand him that same fork, however, and he's happy as a clam. He'll literally giggle at just how clever he is to wield that fork successfully.

Unless you are his brother.

This morning at breakfast I witnessed one of the single cutest events in the history of the world. (Really.) Hubby was outside doing something manly (Tim Allen grunt inserted here) and the boys and I were having a leisurely breakfast of frozen waffles. (Don't worry - I toasted them first.) We ate them while watching Mickey Mouse Club House. Like the good mother I am - (really) - I put their food out first, then went back to make my own.

Two and a half minutes later I come back to the living room to find Nick giving his brother a step-by-step tutorial on how to eat with a fork.

"See, I go like this," stabbing piece of waffle, "and then I go like this," moving fork from plate to mouth, "and then you eat it," talking with his mouth full.

Will laughed and clapped his hands. Then leaned back to the table and attempted to pierce a piece of waffle the way his brother had done.

By this point I'm back at the table and see Nick come around the side of the coffee table to help his brother stab the waffle. Then he handed the fork back to Will.

This cuteness continued for several minutes until Will stopped eating just to watch his brother. It hadn't been more than 20 seconds, but Nick saw a cue to help his brother again. I saw a cue to grab the camera.

I pick it up off the dining room table just a few feet away as Nick picks up the fork and stabs a piece of waffle.

F o r e v e r later the camera is powering up as I see Nick reach up as far as he possibly can with the fork in his hand.

"Here comes the airplane!" he shouted to his giggling brother as I prayed for that camera to get its butt in gear.

"Raaaaawwwwrrrr," Nick roared as Will opened his mouth and the waffle began to enter the hangar. I pointed and clicked. This is what I got.

I must refer back to this post the next time I'm ready to throw them out with the bathwater.