An Update on Gochar

Some of you have asked, maybe more of you have wondered what has happened to Gochar.  Even I, after a few blissful months of Gochar-less rantings find myself wondering if Gochar has finally and TRULY moved on. But he always  (ALWAYS) resurfaces like annoying outdated fashion styles or pesky cold sores; EVENTUALLY he always comes back.  I have resigned myself to the fact that Gochar is ALWAYS going to be there, lurking in the shadows, ready to one-up me when I least expect it.

Don’t get me wrong - I LOVE the fact that Toby has an imagination.  He is the boy who spent his first year of kindergarten art class drawing“Attendance Sheets” and hot air balloons (aka a solitary blob of varying colours on the right hand side of each piece of ‘art work’).   I tried to explain to his doting kindergarten teacher that he doesn’t contain an ounce of creativity in his bones, yet still she persevered with the tenderness of a veteran of her trade, “I always say to Toby, ‘And what can you see TODAY from your hot air balloon?”

Whether we can attribute his growing creativity to his beloved and attentive teacher or whether it’s just something he’s now willing to indulge us in, his imagination is blossoming.  And hence, so are Gochar’s antics.

Gochar continues to have many birthdays and usurp Toby’s sister’s triumphs with those of his own . His age continues to be an ambiguous and ever shifting mystery.  Sometimes Toby tells me about Gochar’s grandchildren; just yesterday Gochar lost his very first tooth.  Gochar is VERY good at sports (SEVERAL of his relatives won Gold at the Olympics), he eats EVERYTHING on his plate (except for those days when his gluten intolerance is in high gear) and now sometimes says bad words that Toby unsuccessfully tries his very hardest NOT to repeat.  We have actually had to create a new rule in our house:  “Even if Gochar said or did something that is considered rude, repeating it OUT LOUD in the context of a story WILL STILL get you in trouble.”

It was in arguing the establishment of this rule with Rob and Toby that I actually thought to myself, “Have I actually GONE crazy?”  Someone would tell me if I had, wouldn’t they??

The interesting thing about Gochar’s place in our family is that Mia has yet to comment.  Though she now understands everything we talk about and eagerly listens to and engages in all of her big brother’s antics, she has never ONCE asked the question we have ALL been secretly wondering for the past 3 years…

WHO the HECK is GOCHAR???

The answer is out there…I’ll let you know when we get any closer to the truth.