bringing up boys

I am the oldest of four girls. I have no brothers. Now I have four boys. And they are true boys(!)

A lot of people ask me what that is like. I still have not come up with the right word to describe it.

Growing up, I was really afraid of boys. If a friend invited me over to her house, I would want to know if her brothers would be home. In church, if a boy sat beside me, my mom said that I would shove them down the pew far away from me:) Boys were a mystery to me and I avoided them at all cost, until I met Adam!

Back to bringing up boys. When our first son arrived, I was delighted. A whole new adventure and I was quite confident in my parenting abilities. Raising a boy couldn't be that different from raising a girl. Let's just say that Nate paved the way for his brothers. He made a big wide road for them. I was not prepared for the climbing, running, loudness, banging, and their love for a dare. I was not prepared that there would be times that I would have no idea what to do or say. Like the time that one of the boys stomped on a snail. Inside I was horrified. Was I bringing up a creature killer? What would he turn into? Is this the violence that I heard about? Is this what boys do? All of these thoughts were going through my mind. I decided to act on my gut instinct and I warned the lad that he must never do that again or there would be severe trouble. Later on I was second guessing myself and wondered if I over reacted. I  told Adam about the occurence and he agreed with me but then a little while later he said to me "they are boys." What is that supposed to mean?  It would be one thing if I had an older sister who had some boys and I could watch her and learn from her. Instead my younger sisters are watching me!  But I have come to embrace boyhood. I love it. I find myself trying to see the world through their eyes. I understand their need to get rid of their energy (although there are many times that I am praying for energy to keep up with them.) I love how they can have fun with eachother and let their imaginations soar. I love how they treasure such weird things and how small things make them so happy. I know that I have lots to learn. I am very thankful for men like Dr. Dobson and his insightful book "bringing up boys" and to Adam who is a wonderful example of what a godly husband and father is like.  There are times that I look ahead a few years and I get scared. What will it be like when they are teenagers? Will I be able to let them leave and cleave to their future wives? These things can make me nervous, but for now I am enjoying them and I am thankful to God for them.

this and that

Two weeks ago, this little guy started to pull himself up.

It is quite a sight to see two little eyes peeking over the top of the playpen.

This and that

Our fields are flooded and it looks like we have these ponds all over the place.
Two Canadian geese have made their home by one of these "ponds." They have taken over our backyard and are getting more and more nervy. Today one landed on our barn roof and stayed there for a long time.
He was probably deciding if he should tell his friends that this is the place to be. There is water everywhere!

Something pretty to look at in the midst of the rain!

Andrew - the third child

Andrew - our spunky little three year old. Why walk normally when you can skip, jump, leap, summersault, dive, jump- roll, and whatever else that is fun? Andrew has had more accidents in his short few years, then most people have in a life time. The other day I started to write some of his accident stories down in his book and I got a writer's cramp. Someday I might write them down here on this blog, but I always get a flustery feeling thinking back to his really early days. When he turned two, Adam had a bouquet of flowers delivered to me to celebrate. There were times that we didn't think that he would make it to see his birthday. Everyone at church knows Andrew from his many bangs, bruises, and bandages. Lately though, the accidents haven't been as frequent. Andrew can be incrediably graceful. He can stand at the end of our couch and jump over his brother's head and do a jump roll. I pretend not see or else I would have to get him in trouble:) But inside, I marvel. This did not come from me. His flexiblilty and agility are astounding to all around.

We were all suposed to look at Tyler for this picture. Andrew had a different idea

Liam has the smushed face at the very bottom of the pile. Andrew is at the top and his face is where Nate's face should be, and I am not sure where Nate's face is!

I put a stop to this quickly. Poor little Tyler unaware of the constant dangers around him

Why sit normally when you can stand on your head.
This is a common scene around here



This was worth a picture because this is not a common scene.
His busy playing must have caught up on him

little teddy bears

Liam ~ back in 2006

Liam and Nate

Andrew ~ 2008

Tyler
I bought this snow suit at a garage sale for $8.00 and we have for sure had our use out of it.
When you see pictures of all of the boys wearing it, you can for sure tell that they are brothers!

then and now

three and a half years later...

boys in their overalls

These overalls are the very best thing that a mom with boys (who gravitate to mud) can have! Andrew loves being outside and is able to keep up with his big brothers quite easily.               

here we go!

Things happen around here~unusual things. Many times I have thought "Boy, this is a good story. I would love to share this!" During New Years I made three resolutions. The first two were easy to keep, but my resolution of starting a blog intimidated me. First there was the matter of time, then my computer problems, spelling, and again the matter of time. In February someone asked me when I was going to start this blog and I replied on April 1; one of my most favourite days. Suddenly it was April and here we are.
Thanks for stopping by and I hope that you enjoy this blog!
Kerri