Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Here we go again

The boys a few years ago - still fun and close
Just when you thought it was safe to use our table downstairs for something else, it was decided to pick sides and relive the Napoleonic Era yet again.  I've written before about this game, and how we packed things up some time ago.  Given the flow of life, I figured certain pastimes would be behind us.

Perhaps it's for one more hurrah before our second oldest walks the aisle and moves on.  They still haven't set a wedding date, but the date will come.  I also have a gut feeling that when they get married and he moves out, the other two oldest will quickly follow.

They've been like that.  As much as they've done yeoman's work making their youngest brother part of the boys, there is no denying the older three developed a certain closeness through their lives that is unique to them.  They may bicker and argue and fight about everything from politics to history to the best Batman director, but they're also fiercely loyal to each other.  

They are very close and often take their cues off one another.  That's a big reason we homeschooled.  For their entire school lives, they were largely successful students, seldom having more than one B between them in a given grading period, the rest  A or better.  But when the district crapped on my second oldest over a trivial bureaucrat matrix, and basically told him his grades were irrelevant next to the all important tests, he stopped caring.  Once he stopped, it was as if the competitiveness between them crashed and they all began to struggle.

Likewise, while they were in little league soccer together, none expressed much interest in being in school sports.  Until one went out for track in the spring.  Then all three went out for sports in school.  Same with working.  The older two had more or less dragged their feet getting a job.  When our third son landed a job at a local grocery store at fourteen years old, within days the other two had jobs as well. 

So they've been very close over the years, and competitive. As they decided it was wise to hunker down among our modern upheaval and crazy and economic floundering, they all three sort of made the decision apart and yet together.  I figure, therefore, once one moves on, it won't be long before the other two, wherever they are, will move on as well.  The only thing they've insisted is to do so incrementally, in order to mitigate the impact on their youngest. 

I imagine that's why they're bringing out the big guns.  Which is fine by old dad.   If the worst thing a father deals with is his sons wanting to spend time with each other and the parents, I'd call that a net positive. 

Upset that Spain has allied with England, my third oldest
is taking his usual measures 



7 comments:

  1. Is the Polish element of Napoleon's army mentioned in the game? Most people aren't aware of how Napoleon was seen as a liberator by Poles who had recently lost their nation to a combined Russian, Austrian and Prussian invasion. Of course, that didn't stop a group of Polish troops from defecting to the "Black Nepoleon," during the Hatian slave revolt, earning them the nickname "White Niggers of Europe."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Poland is one of the special cases in the rules. There are various political combinations you can work for, and Poland is one of them - and a major one at that. Because it's a game, it allows various players/countries the chance to be involved. But it is a big goal for most in that part of the map.

      Delete
  2. It is comforting isn't it, that after you're gone, they'll continue to look out for each other, isn't it?

    THAT'S how we save the world you know? One well raised child at a time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It helps us sleep at night. Again, they have their moments and can wade into some pretty high octane arguments. But when it comes to it, they're always there for each other.

      Delete
    2. If they didn't do that I'd be suspicious about them being related. ;)

      If you reported a boxing match breaking out over a board game I wouldn't be shocked.

      Delete
    3. Male siblings are supposed to fight occasionally. It's a way to prepare for life in the real world

      Delete
    4. Well they certainly have done their jobs in that respect! Mostly bark though, very little bite.

      Delete

Let me know your thoughts