What Little Boys Are Made Of

"And he grew and grew strong as a boy must grow who does not know that he is learning any lessons, and who has nothing in the world to think of except things to eat." ... Rudyard Kipling, "The Jungle Book"

"There comes a time in every rightly constructed boy's life when he has a raging desire to go somewhere and dig for hidden treasure." Mark Twain

"Oh, the eagerness and freshness of Youth! How the boy enjoys his food, his sleep, his sports, his companions, his truant days! His life is an adventure, he is widening his outlook, he is extending his dominion, he is conquering his kingdom. How cheap are his pleasures, how ready his enthusiasms! In boyhood I have had more delight on a haymow with two companions and a big dog -- delight that came nearer intoxication -- than I have ever had in all the subsequent holidays of my life." John Burroughs

I came across this book of quotes about boys that my mother-in-law gave me, and as I read through it, I remembered this picture of Andrew with a frog on his head. He's my all-boy, get-dirty-dig-in-the-dirt, kind of kid. He loves to eat, sleep, laugh, play, to capture bugs or lizards, to dig in the dirt, to pee outside, to strip-down-butt-naked outside on the front lawn not caring who sees him, to burp, to toot (and announce it just in case you didn't hear)...all these things make him so happy!

I have many funny stories about my boys. One in particular sums up the "testosterone-induced-craziness" I'm dealing with. A saleswoman recently came to the house to show me samples of ceramic tile for our hall bath. As she was leaving, and I'm helping her carry her samples to her van, as if planning her exit, Andrew and Aidan simultaneously decide to give her this farewell: Aidan sweetly waves and yells, "Bye-bye Poopie-head" while Andrew pees on the front lawn with his shorts down around his ankles. Alex just stands at the door laughing. I tried to say something clever to the woman like, "Do you know these kids? Who are they and why are they calling me mom?" Good thing she had a sense of humor.

Since I was a girly-girl, and hid in the closet when my boy cousins would chase me with bugs or light fire-crackers just to freak me out, it has been quite an adventure raising boys....but I wouldn't trade it for anything!