A Boy's Life

Being a mom to a boy, and even more, two boys, I've just completely given up on some aspects of life.

My half-bath sink is now, and forever will be, simply a vessel that holds water and whatever object might float in it. We've had aluminum foil boat challenges, tinker toy boats and most recently, the battleship game pieces were put to their test in this little sink.

Anything will become an airplane, seriously, anything. This aluminum foil was actually covering a baking dish and while cleaning up the kitchen I found Matthew making it into an airplane. He snagged it quicker than I could get it into the trash. I have found numerous school papers made into airplanes and flown all around the house. On occasion I ask Matthew where the papers went that were in his folder and he points to an airplane lying on the floor somewhere. I've actually signed field trip permission slips that have the markings of paper airplane folds.

Stuffed animals become superheros and then share pop-tarts for breakfast.

While I'm not always good at it, I try to appreciate the creativeness of my boys with their toys and projects around the house because I realize there will be a day when I'm sad that I'm not jabbing Legos into my feet as I walk to tuck in my littlest boy or grumble when waking my oldest because there are toy cars lined up around his room that weren't there when I tucked him in the night before. It's all normal in a boy's life.

Bottomless Pit

So it has started. I knew when I gave birth to two boys that a few years down the road I would be needing to make grocery store trips a couple times a week and a family meal at a fast food restaurant would cost more than a sit down meal for J and myself.

Last week I took the kids to Subway before we took the dog to training. Each child ate a 6 inch sub; so much for the kids meal subs. Then 1 1/2 hours later both boys were clutching their stomach and whining "I'm starving, Mom!" Yes, because you know a 6 inch sub is not nearly enough to feed a 6 and 10 year old boy; what was a I thinking?

I dread the sounds my bank account will be making as we get through the full teenage years.

Boy toys

What is the difference between little boys and big boys? Little boys throw little sticks and big boys throw big sticks.

Heart Happy

This happened a year ago, but I must share it because it made my heart happy, as I think it would make the heart of most women happy.

My daughter, Emmy, has played soccer for 3 seasons now. At first she was a bit uncoordinated and we giggled slightly on the sidelines when we watched her play. She was cute and she tried as hard as she could but her feet and brain just didn't communicate all the time. Then something happened in the second season; it was like a big light switch turned on in the soccer department of her brain and it all clicked and synchronized. Besides getting very winded and not liking to play when its cold (and TN had some very cold soccer seasons!!) she started playing very, very well.

Last season we had all three children in soccer so on a Saturday we would spend 3-5 hours at the soccer park, depending on if the games were timed together or spread out. One particular day Emmy had her game to play (1 hour, no substitutes) and then Jacob had his shortly thereafter. Jacob's team didn't have enough players and the coaches were desperate for more players so they wouldn't have to forfeit the game. Emily was standing there with us so Jeramie offered her up to play for the all-boys team (after asking her if she would). The coach agreed and then the boys all looked at her with those "she's not playing with us, is she?" looks. Now, Emily is tall and was the same height as the boys 2 years older than her so they didn't actually know that she wasn't their age or the looks probably would have been much, much worse. We told Emily to not be intimidated to play with an entire field of boys, just to "get in there" and go after the ball. While we were pumping her up, we overheard the boys asking Jacob "so, is your sister any good?"

The game starts and Emily played with 2 teams of boys and was not intimidated at all. She played better than most of the boys out there who were 2 years older than she was. By the end the boys were cheering for her, as were all of their parents. My heart was so big and proud I just wanted to cry by the end of the game. The next week when we came to Jacob's game the first thing his teammates said to him was "Is your sister going to play with us again this week?" I couldn't stop smiling.