Yes, that statement is redundant. It's clear I took a quite lengthy break. I just really enjoy stating the obvious.
I envied my kids' summer this year. It was more like mine when I was their age. Endless hours spent outside doing nothing and everything. Swimming at the pool. Snacking 24/7. Sleeping in and staying up late. Coming home from playing with friends completely filthy and sporting an ugly scrape here or there to prove that...the playing? Yes, it was hard work.
Chrissy went away to a work camp for kids. Hahahahahahahha! I'm sorry, that always makes me laugh though because "technically" it was church camp, but literally she was working with a dozen or more other kids to clear brush, fell trees, break up bedrock and generally get the surrounding area suitable for building. Now, if that doesn't sound like work camp I don't know what does! Who knew feeding kids a little "God" could get around those pesky child labor laws? Now as negative as that might sound, she enjoyed herself. As a Mother, however, I reserve the right to question everything and everyone who has contact with or motivational power over my children. And I found it ironic that they're primary function seemed to be clearing this land with a little church thrown in to seemingly keep their tax exempt status. I know. The nerve! But I am what and who I am...for better or worse. On the humorous side, I'm considering hiring her out for construction work here at home (no, not really)....she's a hard worker (really!)!
On the flip side of that, she's started driving. And no it's not like reading a fortune cookie where you add a line at the end for a more humorous divination (as in "driving....me crazy!"). No, not like that. She is undertaking the very physical act of operating a motor vehicle in both the forward and backward directions. My previous experience with her driving has been limited to her moving in the backward direction. So this forward thing is new. And scary. For me. Oh and her too....she's not as thrilled as all that either. And it's difficult for me to force her to drive when she's with me the way her dad and step-mom do. She should practice though so I'm not saying otherwise. It's difficult though to turn our 4 days a month into a knuckle-whitening, tension-filled series of excursions. Seems to me that would be the reward of the parent with sole custody....sole being the operative world. I've had to ask for permission for years just to get her hair cut or permed. I think I'll keep my 4 days per month the way I want them. That could be selfish and it probably is. I guess I feel that the other 269 days a year that I spend missing her has given me the right to choose how we spend the 96 we're given. Those 4 days will be her break and everybody needs a break once in awhile....or maybe I could stand a course in compassionate change. HA! I'm trying.
Trevor and Jack have been playing HARD! Trevor hurt his ankle this past weekend and even though we're back at school, I don't consider summer over till the seasons change...so it counts. ;-) He probably should've gotten stitches, but we opted to seal it closed instead to avoid needles and a trip to the ER and all that. He's healing fine now. But playing hard and wearing flip-flops doesn't seem to end well. (who'd-a-thunkit?)
They come home nearly every day drenched in sweat. Our home has turned into "the place" to hang out for neighborhood kids as well. I'm not sure how this happened but every day now (after homework and chores during the school week) our house holds at least 2 other kids. On weekends that goes up to 5. They play like they've never played before.... EVER. Then they come in to sweat on my furniture and drink our sodas. Bwhahahahaha! Is this what parenting is like? Or maybe it's a sign of our lenient parenting style. It's not full-on lenient seeing as we have rules, the kids take care of house and self like the adults do, they're all expected to be responsible....but when it comes to how they entertain themselves....well, we let them lead while we supervise. Yet, even supervised, I can't remember the moment that one friend became five.
I like that it helps me get to know the kids my kids are hanging out with in a way that the average adult/child gathering like a birthday party or school function doesn't. Hanging out and playing on their own turf shows you the real child and not the "school child" or the "parented child". They're all so totally different around friends. So I guess I've also gotten a glimpse into the real lives of my boys as well. Who they are among peers. That's valuable knowledge so I don't take advantage of this glimpse.
And you know what else is valuable? Febreeze. Yes that fabric-refresher. I can tell that buying stock in the company would be a smart fiscal move for my family. As I mentioned before, I don't just have my two boys plopping their sweaty bodies all over my variety of upholstered fabrics. I have between 3 and 7....all wallowing....seemingly drying their drenched little boy bodies on my things! And did you know that people sweat to remove toxins from their body? Because being the reader that I am, I do. So, whoever said "Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice" clearly did not have to face this particular truth and have it multiply before their eyes on a daily basis. Their teen aged bodies now scare me in new and more sinister ways. Growing hair and sporting an erection is the least of my problems! My god the smell though....how will I ever live through it!?!?
Febreeze. That is the only answer I've found. Hopefully they won't discover that it causes some rare form of cancer between now and.....say.....the year 2017. Because I don't think I could survive the stench of boys otherwise. Which reminds me for some odd reason of that nursery rhyme about snips and snails and puppy dog tails. I think I agree. There is that odd, unidentifiable odor I can only refer to as a "snip" and only because I have no idea what a snip is or where it might come from. And since that describes half of the clothing I currently process....well it fits. Add in the snails and the accuracy score jumps up even higher. I've never sniffed a snail, but judging my the slime-trail it leaves behind I'm going to say it emits a rather bold "old water" smell. Again, if the laundry is any indication...we're right on. Now for puppy dog tails...again this rhyme gets three-and-a-quarter stars but only if the puppy is wet and has been rolling in snips.
Even through all of their stinkiness....they're amazing to have around. They make me laugh every day and I love to watch their minds work things out. They have a lot of responsibility once they hit the big old world alone. So it's been nice to watch them own it even if only for a few lazy summer afternoons.
