Monday Memory: My Blue Brother

The Christmas I was eight years old, I received an awesome gift - a small printing press set. I can't remember who gave it to me, but I do remember lining up the letters backward in the frame, adding the blue ink, and pressing my name (or others' names, or just random words, I wasn't picky) on sheets of newsprint-type paper.

One afternoon, I got out the set and stamped out words with my little brother, Kasey. He was only two-and-a-half, but I remember having fun with him as we printed out his name on the paper. After a while, my mom came into my room and told Kasey it was time for his nap. He didn't fuss, and instead asked if he could stay in my room. He curled up on my bed for a rest and I put my printing press set away and spent the next couple of hours away from my room.

Later, I was instructed to go down and wake my brother up from his nap. The sight that greeted me was an odd and confusing one. Kasey was still asleep on my bed, but his face and arms and the surrounding sheets were all blue. I didn't really immediately understand what I was seeing, and hollered up the stairs. "MOM! KASEY'S BLUE!" My mother sprinted to my room, afraid at what she might find. She breathed a huge sigh of relief when she saw he was still breathing and fine, and then started laughing at the reality of the situation.

 

My dear, adorable, sweet little brother had gotten into my printing press set and covered the letters, papers, himself, and my bedding in dark blue ink. He really was a ridiculous and hilarious sight to be seen. (Oh, and if you're wondering, my beloved printing press set was completely ruined.)

Mom marched him upstairs, snapped a few pictures, and scrubbed him down in the bath tub. We found it quite funny, but the more my mom and I laughed, the more Kasey cried. Apparently he failed to see the humor in the situation.

Well Kasey, I hope you can find it funny now. Oh, and I hope you know you still owe me a printing press set.