Typical Boy

Having boys to raise is an adventure in itself.

I walked outside one day to observe the fire they had going in the bbq pit, and #2 Son, the 13 year boy said, "Oh, by the way, mom, we built the fire so big, it burned the handle off the outside of the bbq pit."

This pit is old, covered in rust, was cheap to begin with, and has seen several years use. There is not much more that can be done to it that could make it look any worse, and it works just fine. So I just laughed when he told me that. His friends were amazed -- they expected some yelling at least.

Then there are all the things they find in the neighbor's garbage to bring home. Sweetie is an archaeologist by training, which means he digs through people's trash. The kids do it, too. I draw the line at anything rotten, but the chairs the neighbors threw out, 3 of which the kids can use outdoors, I let them keep in the back yard, along with tons of other miscellaneous items brought out there over the years. Most of it serves a term of boy abuse from various neighbors, then breaks down completely and gets hauled off. It's okay, it keeps them entertained.

Dad plays an interesting role in all of this. Yesterday I pulled up to the house after picking up Bigger Girl from school (20 mile round trip at 4:30-5:30PM), already tired and trying to face cooking dinner to hear #2 Son yell, "Hey, mom, dad needs a crowbar and a hammer. My friend dropped his cell phone in the storm drain and we have to pry up the manhole cover!"

It took 3 trips to neighbor's houses to round up everything, but with crowbar, hammer, long broom handle, and duct tape, they were successful in retrieving it, none the worse for the wear. That makes 2 skateboards, a cell phone, 3 footballs, a puppy and a kitten we have rescued from that storm drain. I would ask the parish to install an easier way to get down in there, but then I would have to be retrieving the kids from it all of the time.

Then there are the things the boy has said to me over the past few days that I just can't keep to myself.

"No, I'm not taking deodorant. It's only guys there, and I want to knock them over with my man stink."

Upon coming home from that particular guy gathering, "I'm going to do the world a favor and take a shower."

As we pulled into a gas station, "I don't like this Exxon. Me and Sam came here with his dad after we all had Cane's chicken one day, and I blew chunks all over. It was awesome!"

When he heard classical music on the radio, "Bach! Rock on, dude!"

At a restaurant where some of the adults were ordering drinks with dinner, "The rest of you can have your bourbon or fine wine -- I'll have a bottle of your best root beer, please!"

I would say I am very blessed. He is a typical boy, and yet he can't get through his day without several hugs from me, even in front of his friends.


Today is:

Day the Music Died (According to Don McLean, anyway.)

Four Chaplains Memorial Day

Magnolia and Fish Jubilee -- Fairy Calendar

Martyr's Day, Sao Tome

National Carrot Cake Day

National Girls and Women in Sports Day

Setsubun (Bean-Throwing Festival), Japan; the last day of winter according to the lunar calendar

St. Anskar's Day (patron of Denmark, Iceland, Norway)

St. Blaise's Day/Blessing of Throats Day (patron of throat health)

Wedding Ring Day


Anniversaries Today:

Wake Forest University is established, 1834


Birthdays Today:

Maura Tierney, 1965
Morgan Fairchild, 1950
Dave Davies, 1947
Fran Tarkenton, 1940
Shelley Berman, 19226
Joey Bishop, 1918
James Michener, 1907
Norman Rockwell, 1894
Gertrude Stein, 1874


Today in History:

The first paper money in America is issued by the colony of Massachusetts, 1690
Philadelphia establishes a "pesthouse" to quarantine immigrants, 1743
The Dutch States-General forbid the export of windmills, 1752
Spain recognizes US independence, 1783
The world's first commercial cheese factory is established in Switzerland, 1815
The sovereignty of Greece is confirmed in a London Protocol, 1830
The Wisconsin Supreme Court declares the US Fugitive Slave Law unconstitutional,1855
The 15th Amendment to the US Constitution, guaranteeing Black suffrage, is passed, 1870
Albert Spalding, with only $800, starts a sporting goods company, which eventually manufactured the first official baseball, tennis ball, basketball, golf ball, and football (American style football), 1876
Circus owner P.T. Barnum buys Jumbo the elephant, 1882
The 16th Amendment to the US Constitution, the income tax, is ratified, 1913
Canada's original Parliament building, in Ottowa, burns down, 1916
Percival Prattis becomes the first African-American news correspondent allowed in the United States House of Representatives and Senate press galleries, 1947