Boys

For all you tender parents out there with sweet little girls who play playdoh for 9 hours straight, while singing softly to themselves, and looking cute in their self-selected chiffon outfits, I don't understand your life.

I have boys.  You would probably think they're crazy, or indecent, definitely loud, and perhaps out of control.  I can just hear you with hushed words in the corner, "can you believe she lets them actually jump on their furniture?"  

I've got no defense, except: if we're stuck indoors for any length of time, if I do not push all the furniture and mattresses and pillows into a big pile and let my boys climb, jump, and bounce, their behavior will get worse, not better.  But why am I defending myself, I have boys.  I'm over it.  

That means, I get elbowed in the face or the arm or the boob at least 10 times a day. That means they lick sticks, eat rocks, and yes, jump off of the furniture.  They sit on each other, they yell, they say "hi-ya" while waving hockey sticks around and 'gentle' means hitting less hard.

I had no idea.

When I thought about parenting, I imagined craft times, frolicking in wild flower fields, stickers and beads, skipping and talking about feelings.  I didn't imagine collecting worms, bush whacking in forests, or having to say "that's making mommy nervous..." so often.  

Here's the funny thing though, I actually love it.  No matching of outfits or hair clippies. No tea parties or nail polish fests.  I mean, I won't pretend to not be jealous of your ridiculously good selection of cute outfits (I actually refused to leave target's little girl section the other day and was practically wiping drool off my shirt).

But whatever.

I get to teach them how to climb tress, play fire man, and pretend to be eaten by a crocodile 100 times a day.  I get to wipe up a million bloody knees and marvel in wonder and fear when I find my kids doing things like this:

This is one of the many moments where you are simultaneously disciplining them "oh my gosh, Silas that's so unsafe, never never never do that again" and also grabbing the camera because "oh my gosh, how did he do that?  I can't believe he figured out a way to climb up there, J will be so impressed."  He was, at the time, in 'quiet time.'  Scary.  I mean, bad.  Very bad.  

Boys are terrifying and exhilarating.  I love adventuring with them, exploring with them, and learning with them. Bring on the mud, sweat, bugs, and tears.