I’m hesitant to post this because then I will have opened up to you more than I ever have really, plus my mom reads this blog.  For the sake of keepin’ it real, though….well, I must trudge on.:)

I’ve come back from Blogher (post coming soon on MamaBuzz) to find that my toddler is repeating every single thing he hears.  Oh yes.  Whether it’s good or bad, his tongue has loosened, and he is talking!  He’s saying all kinds of words now, and we’ve discovered that he listens way more than we realized.  Oy!  I won’t talk for Dan (although he’s just as bad….shhhh….don’t tell him I said so), but I have been known to say things sometimes that I shouldn’t say….certain choice words.  I don’t know what happened to me, but in nursing school is when it started for me.  I don’t know if it was the constant stress of the courses and fast pace or if it was the fact that almost every other girl in my class had a cannonball of a tongue, but I seemed to pick it up then.  Maybe the stress of it all caused me to show my true colors.  Don’t get me wrong; I hate that I do this, and I try my hardest to keep from doing it, especially if the kids are anywhere around.  Usually, I only reach that point when things have been extremely stressful or spiraled out of control (such as when I went through security at LaGuardia on Sunday and had to have my bag searched and go through the metal detector over and over and over….I mean, seriously, do I look like a terrorist?  Don’t answer that, Dan….), or when someone has just really peeved me….Dan’s the same way, but he can control himself a bit more.

So, anyway, Jaden has picked up on a couple of words, not just from me, though, because I’ve been awfully good for a while now….so, I’m thinkin’ it could be from that lovely noisy box that sits in our living room too.  Oh, and now he loves to tell people to “Shut up.”  It’s really funny and so hard not to laugh when he tells Jacob, “Shut up, Bubba….(insert moan here), “Bubba!  No!  Shut Up!”  I found myself in the middle of the grocery store tonight trying to explain to him why he can’t say what he said right there in the middle of the store.  He’s starting to understand, but he’s just not quite there.

So, right now, I’m apologizing to his Sunday school teacher and anyone else who is around for the next little bit until we can teach him that this just doesn’t work.  We have to lead by example, I know….which is easier said than done sometimes.  We must, however, if we want to show him the difference between right and wrong.  It feels good to write this out even if the whole world does read all my faults.  It’s just one of those little quirks we all deal with in life, even if we don’t admit it.:)  Just keepin’ it real!  I never claimed to be perfect!:)

The boys and Dan have been busy lately, building a treehouse. He’s recycling old pallets, and then he’ll cover them over with wood he’s been able to get at the mulchpile down the road.  Honestly, between the free 2×4′s and the inexpensive pallets, he’s not really got a whole lot into it.  I’m so happy for the boys and so excited that they’re getting to spend some quality time with Dad….here it is so far….hopefully, it’ll be done soon!:)

It’s got a cool trapdoor to come in and out from underneath….

It’ll eventually have swings off to one side.  Makes me want to be a kid again….heck, you’re as young as you feel, I guess.:)  Happy summer!

So, the last couple weeks, I’ve been mulling this over in my head, and I just have to say, being a mom of boys is so much fun, but it’s full of surprises and grossness and laughs and, well….you get it.:)  I LOVE my boys, and they are blessings in my life, but I can’t resist putting a comedic take on being a mom of boys.  So, I’ve come up with a list of criteria that might go along with becoming a mom of boys (as if there were an application for such things).  Laugh it up!

1. You must, and I do mean must, have a sense of humor about all things that have to do with bodily fluids, especially poop.  If the word poop is mentioned, it’s just a given that laughter will ensue.  Poop is funny, poop is cool!  Poop is what’s on the brain….Poop, it’s what’s for dinner….well, not literally, but don’t be surprised if the word poop enters dinnertime conversation quite frequently.

2. Along with poop comes farting, belching, and so on.  Whether you’re in the kitchen or their bedroom, boys just can’t hold it in.  And if you tell them to leave the room, well, be prepared to hear it all the way down the hall.  Oh, and if you leave them in the car for any length of time, you will need to don your gas mask (which they should really provide at the birth of any boy; I mean, come on, hospital nurseries, get with the program).

3. As a warrior mom, be prepared to fight the battle of the urine.  Yep, that nice, warm puddle you just stepped in probably isn’t water.  Don’t worry, they managed to coat the entire toilet and surrounding area, as well.  Look on the bright side; they say that urine is sterile, so they’re just sterilizing the area for you.

4. Be prepared for all things ADHD, even if they’re not officially diagnosed.  (It seems this could be a cause for the war against urine above).  If you say something, you will need to repeat no less than 10 times, of course, getting louder each time, so you can make sure that they heard you.

5. Even if they did hear you, be prepared for boys to do the exact opposite of what you told them to do.

6. Now for the refrigerator and kitchen cabinets.  It might be necessary to get a chain lock, as boys will eat whatever is in sight.  Even if it’s on the floor, boys tend to have a day to day rule, meaning if it’s still edible, it’s goin’ in….into their stomachs, that is.  And if there are cookies, they should most definitely be on the menu for breakfast.

7. It is a given that if let outdoors, your boys will return, covered from head to toe, in whatever they were playing in, whether it be dirt, water, grease, etc.

8. You must be able to handle noise, whether loud or quiet.  This noise includes all fighting over said Transformers below.  One minute, they’ll be jumping around as if the house is a jungle, the next they’ll be clicking and clacking with their Transformers on the floor (truly the most annoying toy ever made; a mother could not have made this toy).

9. You must be prepared to wrestle, play ball, set up cardboard/blanket tents, pretend you’re Ironman, and get down on your hands and knees, when it comes to playtime.  Be prepared to make precious memories that’ll go by in the blink of an eye.

10. Never joke about dares with boys….for example, if your oldest son tells your youngest son to eat a worm, he most likely will try to do it….you just never know what they’re going to do next.:)

Bonus Tip: Finally, you must love your boys….love them into manhood, and grow them up with love, so that some day they can give the same kind of love to the boys they will raise.  Love is really the keyword in raising up boys. As my mom used to say, “Some day, you’re going to grow up and have kids that are just like you.” LOL

For more Friday Funnies, visit Kim at Homesteader’s Heart.

Last week, as we were driving the long trip from PA back home to MO, one thing just hit me square-on in the face.  We were making this long trip, battling the stomach flu in both kids and Dan, and I wasn’t feeling so hot myself.  We had just spent the night in a puke-ridden motel room (we cleaned up for sure, but I still felt sorry for the maid just because of the smell), and all of a sudden, it just hit me.  We were sick, but my kids had just had the time of their lives with the grammies and pappies.  They had just spent countless hours riding four-wheelers, building forts in the woods, catching fish, riding the subway in NYC, etc.  They had made memories that they’ll never forget.  It hit me that, instead of being afraid to let my kids experience life, due to fear of what they might learn, what they might catch (illness-wise), what they might get themselves into, I need to let them be kids.  I remember what it was like to be a kid, and I don’t think I realized back then what a glorious thing it was to truly be a kid.  So….my motivation today is to let my kids be kids, let them live life, let them experience what life is all about, what God has in store for them.  Let them be the kids God created them to be.

For more Motivate Me Monday, visit Sarah at The Fifth Street Palace.