PART 1

     Honestly this past week has been the same as any: Sam gets home from school; Sam eats food; Sam gets into trouble with my mom; Sam throws a fit; Sam feels better, apologizes, then does his chores and goes to bed. Although he did share that he has a "lover" but as he is only 8 I will assume he does not actually know what this means and is just referring to his crush at school. I did, however, manage to get a decent conversation from him, but all it solves is that he is finally catching on that I may or may not be studying him, and that he doesn't have the most enjoyable friends. Anyway this was our conversation one late Monday night:

"Sam. How was your day?"
"Didn't we already do this?"
"No. Be quiet and answer my questions. How was your day?"
"Fine- NO wait! It was good."
"Did you play with your friends?"
"Yes."
"Did you miss them?"
"Kinda but not really."
"Why's that?"
"Because they're just annoying 'lil people that follow me around all day and I call them my friends. Haha, weird right?"
"Uh ya Sam that's quite sad and... harsh."

     After he said this I felt sad for him and that this was how he saw his friends. It made me question how I would describe my friends but only momentarily because our conversation didn't end there (I tried changing the subject because I didn't want the interview to get all sappy).

"Did you wear clothes today?"
"Um yes I suppose."
"You Suppose??"
"Ya well I wore a navy shirt and pants and shoes and somes navies underwear..."
"Did you- HEY STOP!"
"What??"
"You're stabbing holes in the table!"
"So it makes me... nothing."
"What Samuel?"
"I HAVE TO PEE, OKAY? ARE GOING TO WRITE THAT DOWN TOO? But hey since you're writing things down you might as well say that tomorrow I'll be giving my lover a piece of gum and she will love that so therefore she will love me. There d'you get all that?"
"Yes. Goodnight, Samuel."

     I knew before this assignment that my brother had some anger issues which was partially my reasoning for choosing him, but when he overreacts to the dumbest things it makes me laugh. I can imagine that this happens in class as well which makes me curious if Sam's description of his friends is true. Do only the annoying kids hang around Sam because everyone else finds him annoying and difficult to be around?  I hate the thought because I love my brother, want the best for him and I know what a great kid he actually is, but with these weird outbursts there's really only so much I can do to help. Maybe next weeks data will bring better solutions.