Is this a hug?

You know that time...when your kids first start getting to the point that they can interact, or in other words, get physical. Or, the older child imparts physical "aggression?" to the younger. Well, Ethan loves giving hugs, but it involves encasing his brother's head in his arms and leaning into or away from him and saying "awwwww...." I guess the "aww" comes from my constantly saying, "gentle, Ethan...awwww, that's nice." The "aw" minimizes the pain his brother is feeling, perhaps? But what makes me laugh is the look on Austin's face in this picture. It pretty much says, "get him off me, mom."

Since Ethan loves throwing so much, I've had to constantly remind him that his brother's head is NOT a basketball hoop or baseball glove. We've had some near misses and some contacts on the head region with random small toys. I mean you can't fault the aim, but Austin can't catch and that's a fact that Ethan finds hard to believe. (I think he also thinks it's fun to watch things hit his brother). Me being a girl, I'm not familiar with this thrill of the male species. How do you bond by wrestling, rough-housing and maiming things (i.e. fishing and hunting)? Regardless of whether I understand it, it's still a joy to watch as my boys impart their love for each other in different ways.