So Dillon and I had a long discussion in the car today. We've been having long discussions because I've had to drive him to this "Artists Inspired" camp every day in Brookfield, which is easily a half-hour drive, and depending on traffic, can be up to an hour. I personally hate driving that much, so it's kind of a pain in the neck, but all of the heavy-hitters in town (Milwaukee Ballet, Milwaukee Art Museum, First Stage, and the Symphony) are teaming up on this weeklong camp, and D is loving it, so I just have to suck it up. The artwork he came home with yesterday was fabulous, so I guess its all worth it!
Anyway, we're talking in the car and D is expressing how cousins can be just like brothers. This is a common topic in our family as Dillon desperately wants more siblings and I think our family is perfect as is, and so I tend to emphasize the "family is what you make it" thing. Then we start talking about step-brothers, a concept that was recently introduced to D from one of his friends.
I explain to D that he'll probably never have a step-brother or step-sister, since it usually means that your parents got divorced and remarried to someone else who has kids. (I didn't go into the possible death aspects there.) I told him Charles and I weren't getting divorced, so he wouldn't get a step-brother. I asked, "wouldn't you rather your mom and dad lived in the same house than you had more brothers and sisters?"
"I have to think about that, mom" he said, "I don't know…"
Then he changed his train of thought and said, "When I get married, my wife is going to have lots of brothers and sisters. That way I'll get some brothers and sisters that way… And when we have children, you will be a grandma! Won't that be exciting and special? And my wife's parents will be a grandma and grandpa too!"
He's a pretty cool kid.